


The Magic in My Veins

by orphan_account



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, NCIS, Stargate Atlantis, X-Men (Movieverse)
Genre: 2 Tonys in love, Cessna Citation X, Child Death, F/M, Improper use of magic, Improper use of science, JARVIS reborn, Kidnapping, M/M, Mind Control, Not Avenger Friendly, Not Canon Compliant, Not Steve Friendly, Tony Stark Has A Heart, Tony has magic, friday - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-28
Updated: 2018-04-04
Packaged: 2019-04-14 03:39:23
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 23
Words: 32,928
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14127273
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: Tony Stark had had enough.





	1. Tony Stark Learns Magic

**Author's Note:**

> Tony Stark is my absolute favourite and I’m all up in my feelings about how Team Cap handled the whole falling out, banishment and pardon situation. Shame on you Rogers! Anyhoo I blame this solely on you guys. The brilliant stories here only increased my angst about the whole CACW thing and I finally had to attempt my absolute first story ever (fanfic or otherwise) to try an exorcise these Avenger demons swimming around in my brain so I can study/sleep in peace. I'll just keep writing until the words stop coming. Look what thou hast wrought! I hope you’re all very proud of yourselves.
> 
> I don't care about timeline and I don't care about canon. You have been warned.

**3 years ago**

Tony Stark had had enough.

He didn’t have to take their shit, he was Tony Fucking Stark!!

The recent antics of his so-called team, were the super-serumed straw that broke his super hero back.

Surely, they didn’t expect to continue to berate, belittle and bully their billionaire benefactor while living in the manner to which said billionaire had allowed them to become accustom? Either way, it was of little consequence. Since they were so sure the world would be a better place without him, let’s see how they like it when they get their wish.

King T’challa, in an effort to alleviate his own guilt about the way things were handled in Siberia, had given him a boon in the form of recovered bytes of JARVIS. He would never be the same, the damage to his overall systems was severe but in time, he would learn and grow into something like his original program. But that was some way off. JARVIS was still piecing himself back together and, in any case, he wasn’t needed for this. No; this Tony wanted to handle all by his genius, billionaire, playboy, philanthropist self.

He was reluctant to admit it but this whole Accords debacle had finally taught him to look before he leapt. No more flying by the seat of his red and gold pants (they were blue and silver now). Much to Pepper’s delight, he was adulting and with not little success. She was like a proud mama bear these days.

Following Captain Serum’s expedition into his ribcage and the surgeries and recuperation time that followed, Tony had ample time on his hands to think things through and with great reluctance and resentment summoned one Sorcerer Supreme for an in-depth pow-wow. It wasn’t sciencing with his science bro but it was nearly as good, and by the end of it they had formulated a plan….well nearly a plan,  of sorts, almost:  it was a work in progress.

In the short term, Strange put a lock on Tony’s mind making him immune to any sort of magical mind control; apart from the good doctor’s, of course. Tony was no fool, he might be the media’s golden boy now in the face of Team Cap’s insanity and desertion, but the Accords would eventually be completed, the Rogue Avengers would be pardoned, and no one would want to be lumbered with them. The world didn’t care about his injuries or his nightmares and soon enough they would be returned to the fold. The Scarlet Witch was the most immediate danger so they took steps to mitigate her risk to Tony. No more Ultron inducing nightmares if you please, he could scare up his own sleepless nice just fine without any assistance.

* * *

 

**1 year ago**

A more long-term solution found Tony dedicating several hours per week under Strange’s tutelage. Ideally, he would have liked to see Wanda’s powers bound or removed permanently and while The Sorcerer definitely had the ability, making such a unilateral decision would see Tony falling foul of the international community at a time when he needed all the goodwill he could scrounge up. So instead he had to spend hours of his valuable inventing time learning _magic_ ; he was disgusted at the very thought and resented the little jumped up brat even more because of it.

It was so hard to unburden his scientific biases and the first few weeks were not fun. But he’s not a genius for nothing and two years on he was convinced he’d be able to ward off any attacks. He’d managed to remove the Sorcerer’s block himself and had even successfully fought off a joint attack from Strange and Professor X. The ultimate test would be Loki’s verdict and Thor had disappeared from Midguard a few weeks ago to secure his brother’s assistance. However, things had gained considerable momentum since then and it was looking rather unlikely that Thor would return with Loki before The Rogues were returned.

Genius, Billionaire, Playboy, Philanthropist, _Wizard_? Strange had ruefully mentioned that this title could now be added to Tony’s epitaph after The Cloak of Levitation had taken and shine to him and seemed to prefer his presence to the Supreme Sorcerer’s following a particularly gruelling training session where Tony had managed to levitate _and_ teleport in panic rather than deflect an attack. Even though he was a bit creeped out by The Cloak, he took a perverse pleasure in the attention since it seemed to irritate the good doctor. The Bots seemed to like The Cloak well enough and spent hours acting like lint rollers whenever Strange paid a visit to the workshop.

All the groundwork had been completed, the world had been prepped for Tony Stark’s semi-retirement following a series of press conferences and interviews where Tony bemoaned his injuries and his age, added some grey streaks to his hair and banged on about the state of his beloved Stark Industries. A carefully constructed tale about the costs of repairing the damages The Rogues had caused before abandoning the world made it seem imperative that he pull away from the front line; afterall, he was only human, and the world had superhumans aplenty these days.

Fury begrudgingly accepted his resignation from The Avengers Initiative and the ink had dried on his new Intergalactic Emergency Consultant contract with the caveat that he would only be involved in the defence of a non-planetwide threat if _he_ thought it necessary. Thus, he was able to become the image of a middle-aged inventor sliding quietly into old age while tinkering in his workshop. And just in time too because there had been unforeseen side effects to his magic wielding.

He hadn’t noticed at first and eventually FRIDAY was the one to point it out. He was getting younger. He’d gained about 10 years and counting and lost all the bad stuff that came with the last decade. His scars from the arc reactor, the alcoholic tremors, the aches and even the nightmares associated with the related trauma seem to be muted somehow. In true Stark fashion he’d freaked out and nearly gone on a bender before wising up and contacting Stephen Strange. The Dr hadn’t had any answers and so far, could offer no explanation.

Meantime, Tony would keep his fingers crossed that he didn’t eventually end up as a toddler, or worse, back in his teens.  He’d tried imbuing Rhodey with his new regenerative abilities, but he didn’t even know how he was doing it so progress on that front was non-existent. He’d drawn his own blood for analysis, but he was no biologist. Where was a perpetually angry science-bro when you needed one?


	2. The Rogues Are Back

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tony puts his foot down and Wanda hits a wall, literally.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: Child death mentioned, tags have been updated.

 

**The Present**

So the day was finally here. The Captain had finally deigned to sign the Accords, after Tony put in all the hard work and of course, and his lackeys all followed suit. He didn’t know when they’d all become mindless minions blinded by the legend of Captain America, nor did he think a bunch of enhanced individuals unable to think for themselves were the best suited to defend planet Earth, but The Avengers were no longer his problem.

The Rogues were coming home but it wasn't home as they knew it.

Tony spared a thought for Laura and her poor kids. While he’d been comatose recovering from surgery, that bastard Ross sent his goons to the farm. They didn’t stand a chance and those dear children would never get the chance to realise their potential. By the time Tony had been lucid enough to receive an update about what was going on in the world, Pepper had already organised a memorial service and what was left of them had been in the ground a week already. All because Mr Idealistic had come calling and their father couldn’t be bothered to read the fine print. He felt a pang of sadness wash through him and wondered if Clint knew, if he’d even thought to ask.

Sat in the briefing room waiting for his ex-teammates to arrive, Tony observed a scowling Fury. The Avengers compound had been up and running for a few months, but he felt nothing but a passing curiosity about the facilities. The Accords committee had tried to strong arm Tony into reinstating The Rogue Avengers in the Tower to “portray a united front” and “heal the breach”.

It was utter bullshit; as if the debacle at the airport wasn’t on the internet for all to see. But he was a civilian now and they couldn’t dictate how he spent his money. If they wanted to pay those zealots to protect the world then they could bloody well foot the bill. Who knew that facing your demons could be so liberating? All it had taken was dying a few times, having a few surgeries, learning magic and de-aging a decade.

A terrified trainee shuffled in and gingerly leant over to whisper at Fury. Tony couldn’t hold back his snort. So Rogers had persuaded the pilot to ignore orders and reroute to the Tower even though the ink on their signatures agreeing to follow orders wasn’t even dry yet. This boded well for the future, not! Start as you mean to go on and all that guff.

He wondered which of the hostile entity protocols FRIDAY had engaged or if she had simply denied them entry. Tony chuckled quietly to himself, he hoped it was Protocol2. Twenty minutes later a commotion heralded their arrival and then the stench hit. Protocol2 it was then, aww his girl knew him so well.

Righteous Rogers stormed in, closely followed by a sneering archer with a figure swirling in red bringing up the rear.

 

>   _“How could you lock us out of our home?! You had no right!”_

 

A super finger attempted to poke him in the chest but his personal shield prevented the digit from connecting. As the tirade continued Tony idly wondered why Steve always unerringly aimed for his chest. Maybe it was a subconscious desire to get rid of Tony once and for all? Good thing he’d cured himself of his reliance on the arc reactor. 

 

> _“I think you’ll find that it’s my home. But if you can provide me with one instance where you contributed to its upkeep then I will give you my keys. How about it Capsicle? A grocery bill, a laundry day, a bath bomb…no? Well then it’s my home and I have every right.”_

 

Tony wondered when Steve would realise that he was poking at air.

 

> _“Well what else would you be good for if not to foot the bill; we’d have no other reason to put up with you”_

 

Clint wasn’t visible behind Steve’s bulk but the sneer was clearly broadcasted in his words.

Tony wasn’t even tempted to reply. A man who allowed his innocent kids to be collateral damage while he went traipsing all over the world following a compromised super soldier when he should have been at home looking after his family wasn’t worth the breath it would take to reply.

Tony stood up, since he was no longer an Avenger his presence here was no longer required. Best to leave before he needed to actively defend himself. The Widow was sure to be lurking around here somewhere and the rest of them couldn’t be far behind. They were back on American soil and were now Fury’s responsibility.  Suddenly Wanda went flying, she hit a wall and ended up in a heap on the floor. All eyes turned to him. These days his magic was so intuitive it was almost like a separate entity. It was militant about his safety and as just demonstrated, no longer required conscious effort on his part to mount a defence.

Barton snarled.

 

> _“What have you done now Stark? Created another weapon to destroy the world because you haven’t got any friends?”_
> 
> _“You should be locked up in a lab underground somewhere and only make what we say you’re allowed to”_

 

Fury got a calculating gleam in his one eye and Tony knew it was definitely time to leave.

 

> _“I’ll be sure to pass along your sentiments from this meeting to my lawyer. That way when she files the protection orders against the Avengers it can’t be blamed on me”_

 

He looked at Nick.

 

> _“We’ll see how the breach is healed then. Funny how they’ve not even been back an hour and already they’ve attempted physical and verbal abuse. Sleeping Beauty over there knocked herself out when she tried to work her woo woo on me after signing a contract to say she wouldn’t use her mind control juju unless under orders in the field. Fine team you’ve got here Cyclops, you must be so proud. You’ve got my number; use it and FRIDAY will let you know if I want to speak to you”_

 

Tony turned back to Rogers and Barton.

 

> _“See you next time the world’s ending”_
> 
>  


	3. The Two Tonys

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> My two favourite men off to spend some time together.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'll be posting a couple of chapters everyday until this story stops torturing me . Both Tonys refer to each other using italian endearments because they have italian roots; this will be a recurring theme.  
> The phrases used are based on a combination of google and my italian neighbour who is from somewhere outside Milan where, I am reliably informed, they have their own slang terms for things.

* * *

 

Tony fished his vibrating phone out of his jacket and checked the display while hurriedly getting into his car.

He’d glimpsed Cap and Romanov purposefully headed his way and put the car into gear as he answered his phone. Dom had probably seen the Avengers were back and wanted to check he was ok. If he didn't answer, the soft hearted man would only worry.

 

> _“Hey gorgeous”_
> 
>  
> 
> _“Hello my sweet, saw the news, just checking they’re still breathing”_
> 
>  
> 
> Tony chuckled “I _feel so much better just hearing your voice._
> 
> _I_ _managed to restrain myself although the witch got herself knocked out when she tried to work her wiles on me”._
> 
>  
> 
> _“Well I’ve got a glass of something cold and a sun lounger with your name on it if you want to get away. Or I could come to New York for a few days?”_
> 
>  

Tony would love to see Dom, but he really didn't want any of the Avengers getting wind of his existence, not just yet.

 

> “I’d _love to see that smile of yours in person, but I don’t want you anywhere near those loose cannons. What about spending sometime on the yacht?”_
> 
>  
> 
> _“I’ll pack a bag, take the[Cit X](https://www.palairlines.ca/en/charters/charter-aircraft/citation-x-executive-charter/) and meet you there?”_
> 
>  
> 
> _“You know Sully and the Cit X are for your own use. Don’t pack too much it’ll be just you and me and the ocean; chances are you won’t be wearing much for the duration._
> 
>  
> 
> _Plan for about a week, I’ll arrange things with Pepper”_
> 
>  
> 
> _“Okay tesoro mio, I’ll see you tomorrow”_

 

As Dom ended the call, Tony briefly reflected on when his life really started changing.

He’d finally escaped the doctors and their concerned brows and had wanted to fall apart in private. His Malibu home was usually his place of refuge but some psycho had blown it to kingdom come. Still just the thought of heading cross country brought him some comfort so he’d jumped on the jet.

A walk on the beach while deciding his next step had found him stumbling over a bruised and hungover recently medically retired ex-federal agent who’d come to Malibu hoping the dry heat would help his poor damaged lungs. If he was prone to dramatics, which he obviously _was_ , he would say that it was day one of the rest of his life.

They’d sat on the beach talking all night and the next morning Tony had bought his [one hundred and sixty-three foot monstrosity](https://www.heesenyachts.com/yacht/nova-hybrid/) and they’d spent a week learning everything about each other.

Dom was still amused by the name twin thing even though he’d since dropped the ‘Anthony’ and was using his middle name. Though Tony would never admit it, he found it sweet that Dom insisted their souls were so entwined that they shared a name. He was completely charmed by Dom full stop and it hadn’t worn off at all. Surprisingly, Dom seemed to feel the same.

As Tony pulled up to the Tower, he  instructed FRIDAY to check Dom’s flight plan and make arrangements so they’d arrive in Malibu at the same time. He checked on the progress of JARVIS’ 2.0 reboot and got Pepper on the line to go over his plans for the next week.  As he signed off with Pepper, FRIDAY chimed in.

 

> _Sir, the lobby security guard is reporting a disturbance_
> 
>  
> 
> _“Bring up the feed FRIDAY and have the relevant protocol on standby”_

 

Tony looked at the screen and watched Natasha Romanov repeatedly trying to override security. She was in disguise, but it was obviously her. He looked at the reporters lurking around outside and sighed to himself.

 

> “FRIDAY _, send the following alert to Nick Fury: found one of your little lambs lurking outside the shadows. You’ve got ten minutes to apply your shepherd’s crook or the news tonight will show footage of what happens to a recently pardoned Rogue Avenger when they try to gain unlawful entry to the home of a civilian”_

 

Tony checked the time and decided he could tinker for a bit before bed. That was another thing that had changed for the better, he actually had a regular bedtime like a normal person.

 

> _“FRIDAY, activate Widow’s Protocol Level 2 and the full protocol in ten minutes. I’ll be working in the lab, send me the usual bed time alert in two hours”_

* * *

 

The next morning found Tony on his way to the airport coffee in hand. He was brimming with impatience to be on the yacht already.

When he finally caught sight of Dom a few hours later, something tight in his chest eased just a little. 

 

> _“Ah piccolino you get more beautiful every time I see you”_

 

Tony huffed at the term, then stiffened and pulled back from where he was just about to get his hands on Dom when the rest of his words registered.

Shit.

Right.

He was supposed to have mentioned the whole sorcery of youth thing a while back.

Dom chuckled and pulled Tony into his arms.

 

> _“Do you think I’ve forgotten what you look liked that morning you trampled me into the sand? Or that I haven’t noticed how your scars are magically disappearing?_
> 
> _What sort of investigator do you think I am! I just figured you’d tell me when you wanted me to know”_

 

Tony let himself be led on to the boat and over fruity mocktails explained what he knew so far. He also laid out the reason he had been reluctant to bring it up.

Dom’s lungs had been severely and permanently damaged but given his overall good health, Tony was positive he could get his magic to partially reverse the damage if not cure it completely. He was about to launch into another monologue to try and persuade Dom when callused fingers caressed his lips.

>  
> 
> _“It’s ok my sweet, I trust you. If you say you can then I believe you. If it doesn’t work, I am no worse off. I just have one request; let’s wait until the end of the week, otherwise you will spend our time together blaming yourself if it doesn’t go according to plan. Now tell me what happened with Fury and his merry band”_

 

They sat snuggled together while the unmanned vessel took them out to open water and Tony gave a complete account of what had transpired at the Avengers’ homecoming. His initial plan had been to take a nap before dinner, but for the last few minutes Dom had been lazily caressing that spot on his hip and now he had something else on the brain.

>  
> 
> _“Mmm desiderato, you know what that does to my poor heart”_

 

Dom chuckled.

>  
> 
> _“I have your heart already piccolino, right now I want something else”_

 

Tony found himself lifted onto a hard lap. A strong had tilted his jaw for a kiss while another was slowly sliding it’s way down from his hip. His last coherent thought was they were going to miss the sunset.

* * *

 

[Tony's Yacht](https://www.heesenyachts.com/yacht/nova-hybrid/) and [The Cit X](https://www.palairlines.ca/en/charters/charter-aircraft/citation-x-executive-charter/)

 


	4. Of Course Yes!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A question and an answer

Another thing Tony had learnt over the last few years was how to disconnect. He and Dom enjoyed their time together offshore and after that first night, there was no more mention of the outside world. Today though, Dom had been twitchy and unable to settle so it looked like the outside world was once again intruding. He sighed and headed over to where Dom was lounging and pretending to nap. Instead of sitting next to him, he curled around him and rubbed distractedly at his chest.

 

> _“Ok gorgeous, are you ready to share what’s on your mind?”_

 

Dom sighed.

 

_“It seems so trivial now with all the stuff you’re dealing with”_

 

Tony kissed him gently.

>  
> 
> _“Never think that angelo mio we are equals in this relationship”_

 

Tony’s heart fluttered in his chest. He still got stupid butterflies when he thought about them in that context. He hoped it never went away. He rubbed along Dom’s arm and waited.

>  
> 
> _“My old team have been trying to contact me. The brat’s phoned a couple dozen times and HE’s been spotted outside the old apartment”_

 

Tony clutched his lover to him and held on tight.

>  
> 
> _“Do you know how much it means to me that you moved into the beach house even though I know you could’ve afforded it yourself. That you use my wealth at your disposal, that you accept all the parts of me?”_
> 
>  
> 
> _“_ _I think I got the message when I was limping for three days after I moved in”_

 

Tony flushed. He remembered the immense feeling of possessiveness that had flooded his system when he’d arrived at the beach house to find all Dom’s things nestled against his. He’d been insatiable. Still this wasn’t about him.

 

> _“What do you want to do about it”_

 

> _“_ _I’ve handled it. I contacted the HR Manager and explained that my reason for leaving was clearly documented even if they called it something else in the end._
> 
> _She was not very sympathetic but it all stays internal until I have to take out a protection order, then it becomes public record and a federal investigation becomes mandatory._
> 
> _Wonder how it’ll look when such dangerous and unstable individuals are still in their employ; that shut her up._
> 
> _I’ve instructed the lawyer to prep the paperwork, we’ll see what happens”_

 

Tony held on. He got the feeling nothing else was required of him, so they just lounged quietly together and eventually dozed off.

The next day Tony sat awaiting his dinner and admired his moroso. They’d had a peaceful naked day together and instead of being filled with frantic desire, he’d felt overcome with a feeling of gentleness and Dom seemed to either pick up on his feelings or share them. They were heading back soon and Dom had wanted to cook on their penultimate night. Only downside was he’d insisted on getting dressed and not just in shorts either. Still it was a beautiful night and there was a beautiful man bringing him a plate of something that smelt delicious. Yes indeed, he was a lucky man.

After dinner, they sat together fingers entwined watching the stars. Dom fished something out of his pocket and spoke softly into Tony’s ear.

>  
> 
> _“I’ve never given so much of myself to anyone and gotten so much back in return without jumping through hoops. You’ve shown me your true yourself without artifice but I’m greedy and I want more. I want your name. Will you be my husband?”_

 

Tony looked down at their entwined hands and saw an open velvet box containing two diamond studs of the most [vivid blue green](https://www.pinterest.co.uk/pin/446841594247646545/).

To say Tony was numb would be a lie. He was filled with so many emotions he couldn’t even identify them all. He was terrified and there was only one thing to do.

 

> _“Yes! Of course yes!! I mean if you love me enough to ask despite my bullshit then there’s no other possible answer. I am a genius after all”_

 

Dom took the stud from the box and switched it with the one in Tony’s ear and planted a quick kiss on his neck. He handed the other to Tony and turned to the side for him to do the same.

 

> _“They were my maternal grandfather’s. My eyes are a legacy of his and he spent a fortune trying to find a diamond the right colour to match. In the end when he did find the right colour, he couldn’t afford a stone big enough for an engagement ring so he got two small stones and gave my grandmother engagement earrings instead”_

 

Tony finished putting the stud in Dom’s ear and turned him back to give him a thorough kiss. A few minutes later something else occurred to him. He pulled back from the kiss and voice his thoughts.

 

> _“Hey if you take my name we’ll both be Dr Anthony Stark! Are you sure you didn’t just propose so we could be true name twins?”_

 

Dom just laughed and dragged Tony towards the bedroom.


	5. Who's The Sugar Daddy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tony's got the healing touch and Dom's ass gets its bounce back

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Guys!! Thank you so much for the great comments and Kudos. I was really nervous about submitting my first story, but you have all been really great. Some of your comments made me chuckle, great minds and all that.
> 
> P.S. - Be warned, some not very nice feelings expressed about Pepper and it's gonna get worse.

* * *

 

Late the next morning Tony got up to make coffee. He’d meant to get an early start but he’d woken earlier to Dom nibbling on his newly diamond studded ear lobe and slow grinding against his back; they’d got thoroughly distracted. There was lots to discuss, not least of which was their magical experiment as today was their last day at sea before they were back in the real world.

He took the coffees and cinnamon rolls back to the bedroom and found Dom still asleep. Tony smiled, leaned over his fidanzato and gently shook him awake.

 

> _“good morning amore, time to wake up, lots to do”_

 

Dom rolled over and snuggled into his stomach. He lifted his head just enough to be heard.

 

>   _“Do it now while I’m still relaxed and before you start overthinking it”_

 

Tony stiffened and was about to protest but then thought better of it. They’d already had the discussion and Dom was right, if he spent too much time thinking about it, he’d probably talk himself out of it. He took a breath and focused. He could feel the magic swell inside of him and he gently directed it toward Dom trying to visualise his lungs and focus his intentions. It seemed like nothing was happening for the longest time but the next thing he knew Dom was sitting him up and feeding a glass of water.

 

> _“What happened?”_

 

> _“You were out of it babe. Seemed like you just checked out for about twenty minutes. How do you feel?”_
> 
>  
> 
> _“_ _I should be asking you that, did it work?_

 

> _“I don’t know, I’m definitely breathing easier and my knee no longer has that constant low-level ache but it’s hard to tell. What do you think babe, do I seem different to you?”_

There was something off about his voice and Tony sat all the way up and looked at Dom closely.

>  
> 
> _“Shit!”_

 

> _“Yea that was bout my reaction too even though you’d warned me. I reckon I’ve gained about five years”_

 

He grinned at Tony.

>  
> 
> “ _My ass thanks you sincerely”_

 

Tony paused to think things through. They’d need Dr Cho to scan Dom’s lungs and knee to see if they had truly reverted to their healthy state and whether the effects were permanent. They’d also have to start monitoring his de-aging just as they’d been doing with Tony. He gave it six months, but if these changes were stable, then his Rhodey-bear could be walking unaided within a year! Dom didn’t appear to be concerned so Tony decided not to borrow trouble.

 

> _“You don’t seem to share my enthusiasm”_

 

> _“I just don’t want you looking too much younger than me, otherwise I’ll be accused of robbing the cradle._

 

Dom’s face lit up with laughter.

>  
> 
> _“Don’t worry caro, I’ll still love you even if the world thinks you’re my sugar daddy”_

 

Dom called over his shoulder as he headed above deck, laughter still clear in his voice.

> _I’ll tell them what a good daddy you are and how you saved me from sleeping on the beach and bought me house”_

 

Tony climbed out of bed and chased after him.

>  
> 
> _“You wouldn’t dare. I’d set Pepper on you!”_

 

Tony came to abrupt halt and narrowly missed running into Dom’s back. He'd expected Dom to be up on deck but instead he was blocking the steps and flicking through papers. Papers Tony had forgotten to put away before bringing him coffee and cinnamon rolls.

Right.

He was about to start rambling an explanation when he was drawn into strong arms a kiss placed on his forehead.

>  
> 
> _“Do you know how it makes me feel to know you didn’t just say yes when I asked but that you’d been thinking about it too. You truly wanted to marry me”_

 

Tony relaxed, of course Dom got it, he never had to worry about coming on too strong or having his intentions misunderstood. This man knew his heart.

>  
> 
> _“ah mio cuore, do you know all the ways I love you? My friend, my lover, my husband?”_

 

Still pressed together he could feel a shiver run through both of them at the mention of that word. Wasn’t it funny, the power of one little word.

 

As one they headed back to bed and lay entangled together. For the longest while, no words were needed but eventually Dom broke the silence.

 

> _“I think we should find a home in Malibu since we both love it there and I know you don’t want me in New York unless absolutely necessary”_

 

Tony grunted to show he was listening but otherwise kept quiet.

 

> _“We should keep the beach house in Hawaii and the Penthouse and labs in New York. The house in Malibu should be able to facilitate underground building and you should build your new labs and a fortified emergency bunker underneath it”_

 

Tony interrupted.

>  
> 
> _“Babe I don’t want you to be the one to make all the sacrifices”_
> 
>  
> 
> _“Oh make no mistake, you’ll be making some concessions too, but this is no hardship for me. What’s hard is being at the beach house surrounded by your things and missing you like crazy. This way I know we live together in our home and wherever you have to go you’ll always come back home”_

 

> Tony frowned. _“Concessions?”_

 

> _“Yep and here is the first. Your relationship with Mrs Potts-Hogan needs remodelling and I’m in charge of the work. I know she’s one of your dearest friends and has been with you through some rough patches but she’s also your CEO and you both don’t seem to understand that there should be boundaries to both those roles. She’s the CEO you appointed for your business, YOU are HER boss not the other way around. You pay her to run your business not your life._

 

> Tony sputtered. _“Don’t you think you’re being a bit dramatic?!”_
> 
>  
> 
> _“Babe, this is the woman who was married to your driver for two years before she deigned to tell you. And her excuse was it wasn’t your business! Yet the same woman turns around and barges into your home and gives me dirty looks and sneers at me behind your back. She’s overstepping and this diamond in my ear says it’s my right to do something about it!”_

 

> Dom chuckled. _“And you thought I’d be making all the changes”_
> 
>  
> 
> _“Surely you don’t hate all my friends”_
> 
>  
> 
> _“No caro, me and Rhodey are solid. No matter how bad the situation, he always looks out for you and I don’t just mean physically. He cares about your friendship and your feelings. Like calls to like, so me and Rhodes have been tight since the start. The Bots love me too and I love them, FRIDAY is in love with me and you know I can’t wait to meet JARVIS”_

 

Tony thought about that statement. It was true, Dom and Rhodey had developed a mutual admiration bromance from the very beginning, so much so that at first Tony had wondered if he should be worried or jealous. They Bots fought for space next to Tony whenever he was around, and FRIDAY used more endearments for Dom than he did.

Unaware of Tony’s thoughts, Dom continued.

 

> _“If you thought about it you’d agree with me but you’re too loyal. Rhodey is your oldest and best friend and he wants the best for you. Him and I get along really well but me and Pepper don’t. Ask yourself why that is. No matter, I’ll handle it. But here’s what you need to do for me. No access for her or anyone else to the lab, penthouse and our bedroom; they are our private spaces. Common areas fine but upper floors no. And no more turning up unannounced._
> 
> _When the house in Malibu is finished, no one gets through the gate without our approval and certainly no one gets access to the house but us no exceptions. I don’t want to wake up for coffee and find an assassin or a super soldier in my kitchen”_

 

Dom waited for Tony to process his demands. They could discuss it, but he didn’t think he was being unreasonable and there wasn’t much there he was willing to compromise on.

 

> _“Okay”_
> 
>  
> 
> _“that’s it, just ok? You’re not mad?”_
> 
>  
> 
> _“Why would I be mad? You’ve obviously given our life together a lot of thought, same as I have. Why would I be mad?”_
> 
>  
> 
> _“Well you’re going to have to out a lot of work into developing a brand new Avenger and Villain proof security system as well as an emergency proof bunker strong enough to withstand a planet-wide emergency event and it’ll have to be big enough hold all those special to us. And knowing you the way I do, you’ll then have to figure how to make it cost-effective, so it can be manufactured on a global level to save as many lives as possible”_

 

> Tony snuggled into his husband to be. _“You’re right and I love you” He fell asleep with a smile on his face._

 

Back on land the next day, neither man wanted to separate. They knew they were being ridiculous but the two year schedule they’d set themselves seemed such a long way away. Something had shifted in their relationship during those days on the yacht. If felt fragile like it might snap if they were  apart for too long.

 

> _“Why don’t you sneak me into the Tower. I’ll catch-up with U and Dum-E for a couple weeks while you work and then we can head to Hawaii for a few days?”_

 

Dom was being bashful but Tony felt his heart leap, of course the feelings were mutual.

 

> _“Ok let’s go”_

 

They sent Sully and the Cit X back to Hawaii and snuck Dom aboard for the trip back to New York.

 

> _“Are you sure you’ll be ok just hanging around for a couple of weeks?”_

 

> _“_ _Babe! Of course I will. I’m a bestselling author three times over with a shark for a publisher. I’ll always be able to find something to do. When we’re married I’ll write from home while you're away or travel with you unless I need to do research. I’ll train with you when you’re home and tag along on smaller emergencies; at least until the kids come along”_

Tony was speechless and deeply moved. This amazing man proved with his every word and action that he was ready for their lives to be forever entwined. He couldn’t speak and blinked rapidly trying to get rid of the tears before they could fall. He gripped Dom’s hand tightly and kissed the stud in his ear. He could tell that would become a habit.

* * *

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm thinking Tony is 13 years older than Dom:44 to his 31. So Tony's de-aged to 34 and Dom goes back to 26 (because I just love a baby-faced Dinozzo).


	6. Bad CEO

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Our boys exchange some more jewelry

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry guys, it's all downhill for Pepper. I love her usually, it's just where my mind went.

* * *

Three weeks later, Tony and Dom were on their way to Hawaii.

There’d been one close call their first night back in the Tower when Pepper had materialised out of nowhere while Dom was in the shower. In light of his words back on the boat, Pepper’s attitude chafed, and Tony told her he’d see her in the office the next day. He’d had to be quite firm with her and understood better what Dom meant when he said the lines of their respective roles had blurred.

He had FRIDAY restrict all access to upper floors as promised and went to join Dom in the shower. But when he got there Dom was in the process of shaving and his body language indicated he had heard the exchange. Tony sighed.

 

>  
> 
> _“How much did you hear? It doesn’t matter, you were right. I know you said you’d handle it, but this is the perfect opportunity to start laying some new ground rules and there’s no way for you to deal with her without the Captain’s army finding out you’re here and looking into you. That might lead your old team here as well”_

 

Dom’s posture relaxed. They’d agreed that they would take precautions to ensure as few people as possible knew anything about Dom until after the wedding when he was safely ensconced behind Tony’s bespoke security system at their new home in Malibu.

The next morning Tony kissed Dom goodbye and headed for Pepper’s office. In the elevator he found a note in his jacket: “ _remember you’re mine and I love you. If she tries to make you feel bad nip it in the bud; that’s not her job as CEO and that’s not what friends do”._ Tony put the note back in his pocket and it felt like he had an extra layer of armour even though he didn’t need it.

He made his way to Pepper’s office but felt himself stiffen as he recognised the erect posture of none other than Captain America in her waiting room. Looks like he might need that armour afterall.

The captain stood and tried to grab him, but Tony’s magic did its job. He didn’t slow down and walked right into Pepper’s office, shut and locked the door before the Captain could follow.

 

 _“Tony…”_ Pepper began to talk but he interrupted her. One thing at time.

>  
> 
> _“Was there some urgent piece of business which required my attention that you were forced to let yourself into my bedroom in the middle of the night?”_

 

Pepper had the grace to blush but faced him defiantly when she answered.

 

> _“No but you’ve been gone for over a week, I was making sure you were ok”_

 

> _“By trying to sneak up on me in my own bedroom; to what end? Nevermind, it’s not important. Basically, you had no good reason, you just felt like it. Moving on, is there a particular reason he’s here and you didn’t see it fit to warn me?”_

 

Pepper smiled meanly.

>  
> 
> _“Don’t overreact Tony, you’ve had your little tantrum and got your way. You can spare five minutes to talk to him. Besides, he’s my friend too, I can see him if I want”_

 

Tony thought back to Dom’s word their last day on the boat; she runs your company not your life.

 

> _“I’m sure you’ve seen the memo from legal, so I won’t waste any more time. Mrs Potts-Hogan, you are hereby suspended from your duties for a period of no less than two weeks for allowing hostile entities access to Stark Industries property. HR will be in contact I’m sure”_

 

> _“Tony! Don’t be ridiculous, you can’t suspend me for having a friend up to my office! I’m the CEO”_

 

> _“I think you’ll find since you work for me, I can in fact suspend you for breaching company policy. Furthermore, this is a place of business, not your living room. If he’s a friend then invite him to your home, not to work. I thought I was your friend too, but no friend would force me to spend another second in the company of the man who tried to kill me the last time we were alone. It took five surgeries to reconstruct my ribcage!”_

 

Pepper winced and Tony took a deep breath.

 

> _“Additionally, the board will sit in review of your performance as CEO, as is standard when a senior executive displays questionable judgement”_

 

> _“What! You can’t do that, I’ve always acted in the best interest of the company!”_
> 
>  
> 
> _“Really? My death will result in the dissolution SI and all its subsidiaries. How does inviting a man legally barred from any SI properties to your office after he tried to kill me, knowing how my death would affect the company translate into acting in its best interest? You signed the same contract as everyone else, the only one immune is me. It’s not my fault you chose to decide the rules didn’t apply to you”_

 

Tony checked the time,10.30 am.

>  
> 
> _“FRIDAY, send a memo with the details of Pepper’s suspension to the HR Manager. Also schedule a Senior Executive Performance Review and send a notification with a copy of the memo to the members of the board. Alert security and have them escort Pepper and Rogers from the building. Temporarily suspend her access to everything, bring Olly up to speed so he can step in as her interim replacement and engage the Non Grata Protocol so none of the avengers have access to the building unless I specifically ok it, regardless of who tries to let them in”_

 

He felt wrung out but there was one more thing that needed doing before he headed up to see Dom.

 

> _“FRIDAY once you’ve done all that check if Dom’s awake and let him know I’ll be in the workshop for a few hours. Also play him the feed of what’s occurred since my arrival”_
> 
>  

Tony got down to the workshop and got to work. He came out of his creative haze when the smell of cheesy deliciousness hit him. He looked and there was a large pie oozing cheese next to him; homemade by the looks of it and Dom was on the couch making nice with the Bots.

 

> _“If you’re not careful they’ll start stalking you. I found DUM-E in my closet once, no idea how he got in there”_

 

Tony grabbed his pizza and headed over to the couch to sit in Dom’s lap. U peeped at him in annoyance, but Tony just gave Dom a quick kiss and dug into his pizza. The last of this morning’s confrontation melted away. Once he’d had his fill, he gave Dom another kiss and stood up. He was finished working so Dom could have his toys.

 

> _“Thanks for lunch, now I have something for you”_

 

Tony got up and walk back to his worktop. He picked up two chunky bracelets and handed them to Dom.

                                                                     

> _"Go ahead, try them out”_

 

Dom gave him a searching look but put the bracelets on.

Tony gave it a minute but he could tell Dom was getting impatient.

> _“Babe, what…”_

Just then Dom when enveloped by a beautiful silver and blue armour. Tony felt like his heart would burst, so proud of his man who could figure him out so quickly.

 

> _“_ _I hope you like them, I've been working on  them for a while and managed to get done today. The delay was the magic coding to your biochemical signature. The magic picks up brainwaves and translates it as instructions to the armour. That way, you should just be able to think it on and off. You need both to deploy the armour but one will give you a gauntlet. Oh and you can fly, theoretically”_

 

Tony was suddenly being crushed to Dom’s chest, he could feel him shaking and hear him sniffling.

> _“I don’t if it’s possible to love you more than I do in this moment. If I were a woman, my ovaries would be popping right now. You just gave me a gift with your whole being; all the parts of you. Your tech, your magic, your desire to keep me safe. Never doubt I know how much you love me, if I forget, I only have to see these to remember”_

 

Yes. Tony knew Dom would understand, he always got it. He could feel himself tearing up too and pulled away to hastily swipe at his eyes.

 

> _“Come on, try the flight feature, we’ll give it a full testing in Hawaii but you can give it a go now”_

 

Dom got a look of concentration and very slowly levitated off the ground.

 

> _“Yess!! Stark genius strikes again!”_

 

DUM-E beeped in query and distracted Tony long enough for Dom to pull him up. Now they were floating with his feet on top of Dom’s and his chest crushed against the armour. He’d never been so happy.

* * *

 

Been picturing [this guy](http://www.wizardradio.co.uk/blog.php?p=576) as Tony's back up CEO.


	7. I Died

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tony talks about what really happened in Siberia.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 100 Kudos!! You guys are amazing! I'm on Easter break just now so you might get a few more chapters each day. I'm hoping to get this done before my week off comes to an end or it's gonna seriously eat into my library time.
> 
> Major character injury and death discussed. Not really graphic but it is mentioned. Also, a big chunk of dialogue.

* * *

 

Dom and Tony had two blissful weeks in Hawaii to work on Dom’s flying in the armour and working on their plans for the future.

The call from his lawyer was disappointing but not unexpected. He’d seen the calculating look in Fury’s one-eye during Clint’s tirade.

The news was reporting that he was funding Russian terrorists and had caused the death of the Barton family in retaliation for Hawkeye choosing to side with Captain America over the Accords. The public were easily swayed and there were calls for him to be locked up under government control.

Tony huffed, he knew this was coming but did the public have to be so gullible?

> _“I’m sorry babe, I knew you were hoping for a different outcome”_

Tony leant into Dom’s warmth and fortified himself for what was ahead.

> _“I wish you’d let me come with you. My place is by your side. I understand the risk and I still want to be there for you. We’ll use the frequency modulator sparingly and I’ll stick to the Tower until this all blows over. No one need know”_

Tony wished he wasn’t so weak, but he really needed the support. Dom could tell what he was thinking though and nipped that in the bud.

> _“Don’t you dare! It is my right as the man who loves you. I lean on you when my issues get too much. Is that how you see me, weak and pathetic?”_

Tony was about to argue but thought better of it and just sagged further letting Dom take more of his weight.

> _“Of course you’re coming babe. I need you with me”_

Dom loaded their luggage on board using the frequency modulator to change his appearance then sneaked into the bedroom where Tony would join him once they were in the air. He would insist Tony stayed in here and slept if he could. The next few days would be harrowing, and they’d need all the rest they could get to stay sharp.

There were protestors at the Tower but they seemed peaceful enough. Up in the penthouse, Tony called his lawyer and they talked strategy. They’d planned for this eventuality but needed to decide which approach would be best.

The next morning, his lawyer held a press conference filled with legalese and thinly veiled threats of lawsuits. Her speech lasted twenty minutes and she didn't take any questions. After that, calls for his institutionalisation died down and accusations of murder were less blatant.

For phase two of their plan, Tony travelled to Siberia to visit his so called fundamentalist cell. Dom accompanied him in disguise but stayed on the plane after Tony agreed to take one of the Iron Legion instead. Dom worked on his fourth novel since his publisher had been hounding him to get it out before the hype over his first three novels died down.

This was not Tony’s first visit back since his injuries. He’d been back to oversee the beginning of construction and again on its completion to welcome the first group of medical students and say thank you in person to the four that had saved his life. He’d been back for graduation and would continue to visit every six months just to ensure Russian politics hadn’t crept in.

The local tv crew were waiting when he arrived as he’d agreed to give them an interview. He’d initially intended to give the interview in Russian but wanted to leave no opportunity for his words to be mistranslated or misunderstood. They were also streaming live so nothing could be manipulated. He anticipated it would take a day or two for this interview to be picked up by the international press. 

After a tour of the facility and a quick stop to say hi to a few familiar faces with the camera crew in tow, they finally sat down for the interview. The reported started things off in heavily accented English.

"Mr Stark, why have you agreed to give this interview?"

> _"Because speculation has been rife in my country about what’s going on here and I’d like to set the record straight before some trigger happy General in an office somewhere decides to rob the world of brilliant young minds without getting the facts."_

 

"Is your country right to be concerned?"

> _"Absolutely not. I fund this project personally, not through any of my companies or charities. We are a medical research and education institution affiliated with and beholden to no one."_

 

"Why not fund such a project in your own country? Why here Mr Stark?"

> _"The answers to both questions are linked. I chose this site for two reasons: because it was a Hydra base and I thought it should be used for something good; and also because this is where I died."_

 

"Died Mr Stark? But you are very much alive!"

> _"Yes died. Everyone knows about the so called Civil War but not many people know what happened. It took place right on this very site after I saw a video of the Winter Soldier killing my parents and found out that Captain America and Black Widow had known all along. Instead of being honest, they decided to take advantage of my hospitality and lecture me on my trust issues. I felt  betrayed, seeing it on a video like that; without warning, I was watching the Winter Soldier choke the life out of my mom."_

Tony took a breath and tried to slow his breathing.

 

"What happened then?"

> _I tried to kill the Winter Soldier. I tore off his metal arm, but before it went any further the Captain intervened._

 

"Was that the end of the war Mr Stark?"

> _"No. Because the Captain didn’t break up the fight, he joined in. Him and Winter against me. Now please understand, I don’t blame Sergeant Barnes, he was in a compromised state trying to defend himself. But Captain America pinned me to the ground and used the shield my father made to smash into my chest._
> 
> _The Iron man suit is basically hundreds of pounds of metal powered by my arc reactor. His hit cracked the reactor and disabled my suit. It was below freezing and the metal worked as a conductor. I was basically in an ice box with no way to call for help."_

 

"Is that when you died?"

> _"No. Barnes and Rogers had been flown here. I figured they’d let someone know where I was and I might end up with a bit of hypothermia but I’d be fine. Only the Captain wasn’t finished. His hit caused a lot of damage. The shield was sticking out of my chest, but internally it was helping to things in place. When he removed the shield, my chest cavity collapsed._
> 
> _A piece of broken rib punctured my lung. Not only was I on the ground in below freezing temperatures, I was also bleeding internally and struggling to breathe. At this stage I could still be helped but they would have had to get me aid immediately. That’s not what happened. They limped away together and never said a word to anyone. Eventually I lost too much blood, my body went into shock and my heart stopped."_

 

"And you died?"

> _"Yes, I died."_

Tony went to drink his water but noticed his hands were shaking.

 

"Do you need a minute Mr Stark?"

> _"No I can continue. Unbeknownst to anyone four friends aspiring to be doctors would meet here in secret. They'd pooled their resources so one of them could go to medical school. Another was a janitor and would obtain cadavers. All four would meet here where the friend in medical school would show the rest what he’d learnt; then they would experiment on cadavers to consolidate their knowledge._
> 
> _They found me when they came here to study, got me out of my suit and saved my life. I was awake for some of it but eventually the pain knocked me out. When I awoke a week later I was in New York. My personal physician said they absolutely saved my life."_

 

"How did you find these four friends?"

> _"As soon as I was able, I sent a team out here to investigate. Folks were resistant at first and it took a few weeks, but finally my physician Dr Cho used the contact number she had from when they’d tried to get a hold of her to have me transferred back to the states. I am a man who pays my debts but all they wanted was to be doctors. So I made it happen."_
> 
>  

"What an incredible tale! Mr Stark, you’re saying that four Russian youths saved your life after Captain America left you for dead?"

> _"That is correct. And that is why I am funding this project."_

 

Back on the plane, Dom watched the live interview but inside he was seething. Tony could have died at the hands of that self-righteous know-it-all before they’d ever met! He couldn’t understand how the world thought such a selfish being was the paragon of virtue. If he ever got the chance he’d be giving Captain Rogers a piece of his mind.

On the flight back to New York Dom and Tony decide to lay low until the news outlets had picked up his interview. But when they got back to the Tower, there was a voicemail in the form of Dr Stephen Strange’s head in a ball of light asking Tony to contact his as soon as possible.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A frequency modulator is used to modify radio waves and sometimes boost audio signals. This much I remember from summers spent in my dad's workshop.  
> In this story it is used to distort the magnetic waves around Dom's face and give a false reading i.e it gives him a different face. I envision it to be the size of dime or five pence piece that adheres to the skin just inside Dom's collar.  
> (I totally just made that up as I was typing it - this is what my crazy mind does all the time!)


	8. Tony to the rescue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rhodey's not having so good a time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a short one. There'll probably be at least one more coming today.

* * *

Tony felt Dom tense up next to him and heaved a great sigh. Why could nothing in his life be simple. Dom was not a fan of the Supreme Sorcerer and all the time they'd spent behind closed doors working on Tony’s magic when their relationship was in its infancy. He thought _“the damned magic monkey and his perverted cape”_ had an ulterior motive. He was probably right, but these days Tony took help where he could get it.

He made the decision to contact Strange first thing in the morning. A few hours wouldn’t make a great deal of difference and he needed one night where he wasn’t staving off disaster. Especially since the call from Strange had Dom so wound up.

Bright and early the next morning, Tony swore as he put the phone down. It was just as he’d feared, Wanda had sunk her telepathic claws into all the people on his list. The effects were varied and seem to be affected by how much contact they had with Wanda. Dr Strange and Professor X did their scans independent of each other but agreed on their findings in each case. Tony asked them to put their findings in writing and to prepare themselves for scrutiny. He felt like screaming.

_“God dammit!!”_

This time he wasn’t keeping quiet so they could make him their scapegoat. He was putting the truth out there and let the chips fall where they may. Everyone had to bear the consequences of their actions sometime.

His next phone call didn’t cheer him up at all. Dom came down to the gym with him and acted as a spotter until he exhausted himself without saying a word. After a shower he was feeling a lot calmer and explained to Dom what had tipped him over the edge. The next phase of his plan was to do an interview with a reporter here in New York. He left the selection up to his lawyer since Pepper wasn’t around at the moment. His lawyer was a pragmatist and thought the information they shared would have more weight if it came from someone who was known to be a Stark detractor. Hence, he was scheduled to be interviewed by none other than Christine Everhart.

Tony had a feeling his day was about to get worse. He decided to avoid the rest of the world and go see Rhodey with Dom in disguise. On the way, Olly phoned to tell him Pepper had refused to submit to the performance review and had injured a security guard when she was denied access to the building before disappearing. Could he handle anymore bad news today?

They arrived just as Rhodey’s doctors were leaving. They’d been able to have a proper look at his spine once all the swelling had gone down. He’d suffered a relapse and they now thought his condition was much worse than initially suspected. They were afraid any further stress on his spinal cord could damage his brain stem and worsen his prognosis.

Tony let himself be led into Rhodey’s room and then he cried for his friend. Dom gave him a few minutes to cry it out and then pulled him into an embrace and let him slowly pull himself together. Tony looked at Dom and wordlessly they agreed. They were so in sync these days sometimes words weren’t necessary. Tony contacted Dr Cho to give her a heads up about Rhodey’s condition, their plan and when to expect them. Meanwhile Dom left to go arrange Rhodey’s transfer. He never woke up and slept through his relocation to Helen’s facility. They sat with him for hours while Cho’s team attempted to stabilise him.

Dr Cho decided to keep Rhodey in an induced coma while Tony attempted repair the most immediate damage. They’d discussed a schedule and agreed that Tony would start tomorrow then take a day off before going to do battle with the reporter his lawyer selected. The day after that, Tony would return to check on Rhodey’s progress and attempt another session unless Helen said otherwise.

Tony had a fitful sleep and woke early rearing to go, but decided to wait for Helen as they’d agreed. Once they got going, Tony tired very quickly and could only do short sessions followed by at least a half hour break before he had enough energy to go again. At the end of the day he was disappointed not see an immediate improvement even though that’s what was expected. He was glad now that he’d agree to the extra day before he had to face Christine Everhart as he was currently in no fit state.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had such a laugh mangling the medical bits.


	9. Everhart gets a shot at Tony

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tony submits to an interview with his least favourite reporter and tells the world what he thinks of Wanda, well some of what he thinks about Wanda.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> More dialogue, sorry:(

* * *

The interview with Ms Everhart did not go at all as he expected. Despite her dislike for Tony she was a damn good reporter and liked to triple-check her facts.

So when conflicting reports regarding Tony Stark’s endeavours started making rounds the same time the Avengers were back on the scene, her reporter senses started tingling. She’d been investigating his so-called terrorist training ground in Russia before his little interview hit the news.

And while she was relieved to find it wasn’t a threat to America; everything above board and rigorous security checks for staff and students, she was also a little disappointed that he hadn’t been caught doing anything wrong. In fact, the whole endeavour was admirable so it was with grudging respect that she greeted him when he arrived for the interview.

Still Tony was no fool and his lawyer got all the staff present to sign a no tampering agreement. The station manager also signed an additional document stating no staff apart from those present who’d signed the no tampering agreement would be assigned to work on the footage. The station’s lawyer tried to argue it was an infringement of their creative license. Tony loved to see lawyers duke it out but today Tony’s lawyer had the bigger dick, so he was feeling pretty positive when the interview started.

 

 “Tony, can I call you Tony? Thank you for joining us today”

 

> _“Well, as it is my name, I don’t mind”_

 

 _“_ Let’s begin by addressing Hawkeye’s troubling insinuation of your culpability in the death of his family”

 

> _“Oh, he has been milking it hasn’t he. As I’ve never been a parent I can’t imagine the pain he feels for such a terrible loss. But his family’s been dead and buried for three years, why’s he just now shedding a tear; where’s he been to cry over them these last three years?”_

 

“I think we can all agree that child murder is a serious and repulsive matter. Were you in anyway responsible for the death of his wife Laura Barton, who was pregnant at the time and their two children Cooper and Lila Barton? How do you respond to his allegations?”

 

> _“I respond with the facts. These facts can be found in the investigator’s report which I obtained via an official information request. The authorities were willing to comply because the case was closed and the perpetrators now deceased. Brock Rumlow was the known right-hand man for the late Secretary of State, General Thaddeus Ross._
> 
> _T_ _he facts state, that the very day Clint Barton known as Hawkeye and the rest of Rogue Avengers disappeared, Rumlow was spotted on camera a mile from the Barton Farm. Twenty minutes later there was an explosion at the farm and Rumlow was again caught on camera speeding away from that direction. Phone records show three calls between Rumlow and Ross during the corresponding timeframe._
> 
> _Also fact, at the time of the explosion, I was in a coma following surgery and would not wake up until a week after the Barton family memorial service.”_
> 
>  

“Was that detail included in the investigator’s report?”

 

> _“Yes it was. The investigator thought some negligence on my part may have made it easier for the family to be found and was very thorough in his investigation”_
> 
>  

“And were you found to be negligent?”

 

> _“No, I was not. The Avengers all have contingencies in place for their loved ones to be protected, should they die or be incapacitated. Hawkeye chose to keep his family a secret knowing full well he was excluding them from that protection._
> 
> _He didn’t have to tell the whole team, but he should have told me. I was responsible for arranging protection. Furthermore, he was a retired agent, had been for months and the Accords would not have affected him in anyway. Why then would he leave his family, to wage war with the international political community knowing he was leaving them unprotected?”_

 

“Tony, are you saying that Clint Barton is responsible for his own family’s murder”

 

> _“Christine, I would never lay such a burden at any parent's door. However, I will no longer be the whipping boy for someone else’s guilt. If Clint Barton is looking to blame someone for the death of his family, he should lay the blame where it belongs, with Brock Rumlow and Thaddeus Ross”_
> 
>  

“Let’s move on to another topic. How do you respond to those who say you can’t be trusted and should be in an institution and made only to work on government approved projects?”

 

> _“I don’t know Christine. You’re a pretty good reporter but some of your stories have been damaging to the high profile individuals. How about they lock you up and only allow you to write stories they approve of?”_
> 
>  

“Don’t dodge the question, Tony”

 

> _“Well it was worth a try. I say what any private citizen would say when the government tries to lock them away and take their possessions. The law is my protection; it protects my body and property: physical as well as intellectual._
> 
> _Also, I have an army of lawyers and I’m not afraid to use them. If they try it with me, they’ll try it with anyone. Next thing you know all the country’s top minds will be disappearing and America will be at war with itself. Sound familiar?”_
> 
>  

“Very profound words Tony. And now we come to the part I admit I’m most curious about. The station was contacted by a Dr Stephen Strange and Professor Xavier. They’ve provided certain reports regarding a list of names and how they have been affected by their interactions with the Scarlet Witch. Are you aware of these reports Tony?”

 

> _“I am acquainted with Dr Strange and Professor Xavier. I contacted them regarding my concerns about how Wanda may have affected the people on that list. I was aware they had concluded their investigations but have not seen any reports. Nor was I aware they had been in contact with the station”_

_  
_ “For any of our viewers who are unaware, the Scarlet Witch is a mutant who had her abilities enhanced after volunteering with Hydra. She joined the Avengers just before the Ultron tragedy where thousands lost their lives. She has the power to control minds and matter. Tony, as you are unaware of the reports, I’ll give you and our viewers a brief summary.

Dr Strange is a powerful sorcerer and Professor Xavier an immensely powerful telepath. They carried out their investigations individually and at different times to avoid any bias. They did not discuss their findings until both their investigations were complete. The reported findings are alarmingly similar.

Why this list of names Tony?”

_“They are the individuals who showed the most marked difference in their attitudes toward me since the Scarlet Witch joined the team. All the Avengers were also listed, but they refused to assessed”_

 

 _"_ For the information of our viewers; the list consists of twelve names which include government officials, military officers and Stark employees. All have been found to be under the influence of mind control with the Scarlet Witch’s magical signature. The level they have succumbed to this mind control is in direct proportion to time spent in her presence.

For example, Colonel Rhodes is the least affected because he was based in Washington and did not have much interaction with the Avengers outside of combat. In contrast Virginia Potts was in contact with the Avengers much more frequently. She is one of the most affected.

All show periods of dormancy where their personal feelings would have overridden the mind control. These periods of dormancy directly mirror the three year absence of the Avengers. There have also been recent periods of hyperactivity in all twelve individuals. This period of activity coincides with the last few months since the Avengers return. Any comments Tony?”

 

> _“Again, I think the facts speak for themselves. My mind was raped. My thoughts were penetrated and I was driven to create Ultron. Everyone knows how that turned out. I was not the only victim and did so against my will. Yet no one stood up for me or spoke on my behalf. My attacker joined my team and was invited into my home._
> 
> _My concerns were ignored and I was told to put up with it for the sake of the team. The Avengers refuse to be reasonable and so they have exposed countless innocents to her powers. What if she attended a gala where the president was also in attendance? Then you’d have an admitted Hydra sympathiser, controlling the President of the United States. Let’s not forget all the evil Hydra has done, or that the Scarlet Witch volunteered for their ranks. That’s all I have to say on the matter”_

 

“How do you feel about your teammates refusing to be scanned?”

 

> _“First of all, the Avengers are no longer my teammates. I have resigned from the Avengers Initiative and will work as an independent consultant, where there is deemed a need. I’m sure it’s no great loss. Ask any Avenger and they’ll tell you I have nothing to offer and they only kept me around this long to foot the bill”_

 

“What?! But you’re Iron Man!”

 

> _“Not according them. Apparently, the suit does all the work and I’m just a show off“_

  

“But surely that’s not true! What happened to all the soldiers who tested War Machine after Colonel Rhodes’ injury and were unable to operate it?”

 

> _“They’d say War Machine was designed as a weapon because Colonel Rhodes is an excelptional soldier and I’m just a figurehead because Iron Man is a robot”_
> 
>  

Christine was genuinely shocked, she'd had no idea the Avengers were that fractured. Admittedly, she was not Tony Stark's biggest fan. But even she was hard-pressed to ignore his bravery and tenacity. Nor was she blind to the feat of engineering and combat awareness that was Iron Man. She wondered how things had got this bad in Avengerland, but kept her thoughts to herself.

 

 “Let’s go back to the Scarlet Witch for a minute. Do you think all this was done deliberately? Do you think she has agenda?”

 

> _“I have no idea if she has an agenda, I’m just a scientist afterall. As to whether or not her actions were deliberate, I can only speculate. Whenever she’s been caught doing something everyone disapproves of, she blames it on her lack of control over her powers._
> 
> _But if she has so little control, why is she an Avenger; she could be putting the public at risk with her lack of control. Furthermore, could someone not in control of their powers manage so many different levels of mind control with so many different people? Don’t forget, they are only the ones we know about. Finally, does Hydra strike you as an organisation that lets untrained foot soldiers out on missions?”_

 

“I must say I’m genuinely shocked by some of today’s revelations but unfortunately that’s all the time we have. You’ve given us a lot to think about.

Thank you for your candour Tony”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to kougarlover123 for pointing out the issues with identifying the speaker in the blocks of dialogue. 
> 
> I've attempted to correct this so hopefully it should be easier reading now


	10. I can feel my butt!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tony and his sugar-britches.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Even more dialogue, hope it's easier to follow now.

* * *

Tony left the interview feeling weirdly buoyant. It felt good to get all that off his chest; at least he wasn’t perpetuating the cycle of silence. He didn’t expect much would change but maybe it would make people more wary of Wanda.

As he headed for his car, he felt his magic repelling an attack.

Wanda must be around here somewhere. He didn’t let on he’d felt it but continued to his car. Without his magic, he'd never have felt it. They knew he was friends with Dr Strange, let them think the Doctor had given Tony a barrier or something.

As he was about to get in the car, there was a shout as a passer-by recognised one of the Avengers. Tony turned to look then, otherwise it might seem suspicious. Yep, just as he thought; Rogers, Barton and Maximoff caught red-handed spying on Tony. A reporter was quickly making his way over to the trio but Tony had seen enough, he got in his car and drove away.

The temporary euphoria of unburdening his soul was wearing off and he just wanted to give Dom a hug and check in Rhodey. He headed straight for the clinic and slipped in to Rhodey’s room to find Dom asleep with his neck in a weird exorcist contortion and Rhodey staring at him bleary eyed.

 

> _“Rhodey! You’re awake! I’ll get Helen”_
> 
>  

He didn’t need to though, as well as making Dom jump out of his sleep, his shout had alerted the staff. One of the nurses came rushing in, took one look at Rhodey and rushed back out. Rhodey gestured at the jug of water and Tony poured him a glass and helped him drink.

 

> _“Tony my butt’s numb, why does my butt feel numb! I haven’t felt my butt in years!”_

> Tony felt like he could laugh and cry at the same time.  _“Hang on sugar-bear, let Helen have a look at you first and then we’ll talk”_

> _“Helen!  Is this her clinic? How did I get here? Tony what did you do?!”_

> _“_ Tony, I thought I told you not to stress him out.
> 
> Hello Colonel Rhodes, I’m Dr Helen Cho. You’ve been at my facility for three days, since your relapse. Do you remember that?”

> _“I think so? I remember working with the physical therapist feeling a sharp pain and then nothing. What happened?”_

> “By the sounds of it your doctors became overexcited once all the swelling around your spine went down which led to your overexerting yourself and reinjuring your spine. This was of some concern because the sharp pain that you felt was the top of your spinal column shifting. It was only a miniscule movement, but it left you in danger of damaging your brain stem”
> 
>  
> 
> Tony interrupted Helen.  _“Yes sugarplum, luckily I stopped by for a visit and when I heard the bullshit the doctors were sprouting, I had you transferred here. You were asleep for ages!”_

Tony started pouting so Dom thought it was time for him to step in.

 

> _“Hey Rhodes man, you gave us a bit of a scare”._

Rhodey gave him a blank look and Tony started cackling. Dom remembered he was wearing the modulator and quickly removed it.

 

> _“Dom the dude! I almost didn’t recognise you. Been better man but thanks for pulling my ass out of the fire”_

> _“Anytime man, but you haven’t heard the best bit yet. Tony worked his woo woo on you!”_

> Rhodey turned back to Tony with a hard stare. _“You woo-wooed me while I was unconscious! Not cool Tones._
> 
> _I know we had the consent conversation your first year at MIT”_

It was Dom’s turn to start cackling, he dodged Tony’s elbows as Helen gave him a dirty look.

 

> _“_ What Dominic is trying to say is that Tony used his magical abilities to try and mitigate the damage from your recent misfortune. Anything beyond that is pure luck”

 

> _“I forgot you had magic juju now Stark. Why are you just now trying this, you asshole!”_

> _“Rhodey-bear we weren’t sure it would work, I could have made it worse”_

> “I’m afraid Tony is right Colonel Rhodes, there was no way to know for sure if he would make it worse. But since the worse had already happened, and he is your medical proxy, we decided to try some carefully monitored experiments.
> 
> It took a lot out of Tony and required he take frequent breaks. As far as we can determine, his attempts seemed to have kickstarted a process of accelerated healing in your body. Your body is showing lots of small localised improvements”
> 
>  
> 
> _“That doesn’t sound that positive and please call me James, Dr Cho”_

> _“_ Ok James, let's put it in perspective. Your injury occurred three years ago, and it’s taken this long for the swelling around your spin to completely resolve.
> 
> In two days, with the help of Tony’s magic, you're back to the point just before your relapse. It took your body three years to get there on its own”

> Tony piped up _“Ok so since that sounds like it’s working, I’m ready to try a couple more sessions tonight and a few more tomorrow”_

> Dr Cho nodded “I don’t need to be here for this, so that’s my cue. James, we’ll be monitoring your vitals from the nurses’ desk.
> 
> Dom, please make sure Tony has something to eat before he starts and make him take regular breaks”

> _“You got it Doc”_

As Helen left the room, Tony and Dom turned and grinned at each other. Rhodey rolled his eyes.

 

> _“Just get on with it already. Kiss and get it over with. Then Dom , you can go find Tony a sandwich or something while we catch up”_

Tony caught Rhodey up on the gossip of the last few weeks and got hit in the face with a pillow when he told Rhodey he was engaged.

 

> _“Next time lead with that Stark”_

 

Tony grinned, it was so good to have his sugar britches back. When Tony explained the de-aging link to his magic Rhodey eyed him up and down seriously then exclaimed he couldn’t see a difference since Tony had always looked like a little person to him.

Dom came back to the room to laughter and Tony and Rhodey having a pillow fight. He felt his something in his chest loosen. He’d needed a new family and Tony with his generous heart had given that to him. It was good to see his family happy. He handed a sandwich and soda to Tony then sat on the other side of the bed. While Tony happily munched away, Dom leaned closer to Rhodey.

 

> _“Cho is single, no kids, very open family”_

While Tony choked on his sandwich Rhodey tipped his chin in Dom’s direction with a grin.

 

> _“Good looking out my Dom dude”_

> _“Dom! Don’t encourage him, he should at least wait till his equipment in functioning”_

> Rhodey snorted _. “shows how much you know Tones. If I start working on her now, by the time my equipment is functioning, I can put it to proper use”_

There was a moment of silence, then all three men cracked up. It was good to have him back. They had missed their Rhodey-bear.

After the second round of Tony doing his Mr Wizard routine, they turned on the tv hanging from the wall just in time to catch news footage of Wanda working her evil red mind magic on the unsuspecting reporter Tony had seen heading her way as he left the tv station. She was clearly heard saying _“be gone annoying insect”_ before the young reporter abruptly turned around and headed into traffic. He would’ve been road kill but more Rogers’ quick action.

 

> Tony thought out loud _. “That’s not gonna help her whole I didn’t know what I was doing spiel”_
> 
>  

That clip was followed by Tony’s interview in its entirety with very little editing. The three men said nothing but, Rhodey gave Tony’s hand an extra firm squeeze before they called it a night.

For the next two days Tony worked his magic on Rhodey as much as he could before Dr Cho finally put a stop to it. She wanted to give Rhodey’s body time to process what the magic had done. She was also concerned how the de-aging would affect him if it was linked to direct exposure to Tony’s magic.

With Rhodey in good hands and Tony unable to do anything further for him, they decided to head back to the Tower and work out a more detailed plan about getting on with the rest of their lives.

As they pulled up to the Tower, Tony was not surprised in the least to find Natasha waiting outside.

The way his life as going at the moment, she probably wasn’t alone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Still enjoying making medical shit up as I go


	11. Team Double Standard

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tasha tries her luck with Tony and our boys get distracted.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Character has a panic attack, no details but it is mentioned

* * *

 

Tasha’s relaxed posture had Tony immediately on his guard. A Black Widow this relaxed was never a good sign, it was a deliberate ploy to get you to let down your guard, right before she stabbed you in the heart.

He advised Dom to let him out in front of the building then make his way up to the penthouse via his private entrance.

 

> _“Agent Widow, what brings you to my humble neck of the woods”_
> 
>  
> 
> _“Tony, I need to talk to you”_
> 
>  
> 
> _“I’m really sure you don’t. You had two years to talk and you kept silent. Then you turned your back on everything being an Avenger stood for so you could stand by Steve._
> 
> _You all did! And yet here you are, after my hard work made it possible for you to come home you still want more from me!_
> 
> _Well I’ve given enough and your last visit here should have made it clear which side I stand on now”_
> 
>  

She tried to grab for him as he went by her heading for the lobby entrance, but his magic repelled her just as it had Steve. Tony had always hated magic but now he loved that it was able keep him and his loved ones safe.

Natasha tried grabbing for him again and got a speculative look in her eye when the result was the same.

 

> _“Tony, why can’t I touch you?”_
> 
>  
> 
> _“Since the last time one you got your hands on me I ended up cut open by a bone saw stolen from a butcher shop while four self-taught wannabe doctors tried to save my life; the first thing I did when I was able to get back into the lab was make sure it never happened again._
> 
> _You know my tech is nothing if not effective, especially when I’m motivated. And since you leeches keep trying to grab me against my while even though you know I don’t like to be touched, I think it was definitely time well spent”_
> 
>  

Tony spent the next couple of minutes listening to how everything was all his fault blah blah blah. The network trying to demonise Wanda using the footage of her apparently whammying the reporter was also his fault.

Alien abduction, UFO sightings, global warming and other no basis in reality bullshit were also his fault. He wondered if she could fit the apocalypse and Clinton’s impeachment into the category of things that are Tony Stark’s fault.

He just wanted to give Dom enough time to get up to the penthouse. If she was here, then she wasn’t somewhere else sneaking around with her nose in his business. He figured Barton and Rogers would still be with Wanda after the disastrous footage. While there were still a few other sideline Avengers unaccounted for, Tony was confident Dom could handle them.

When Tasha paused to get her second wind, Tony seized his opportunity to slip around her and get into the building knowing she couldn’t follow. He checked the time, shrugged, it was late but if he was gonna be hassled then so should everyone else.

Tony had FRIDAY contact a very harassed sounding Fury who he succinctly informed to either get a better handle on his team or he could battle it out with Tony’s lawyers.

He made his way up in the elevator while FRIDAY played him a voice note from a representative of the board saying she had seen the network interview and the board was willing to hold off on Pepper’s review if there was a cure for the effects of Wanda’s mind control.

Tony had had enough for one day, he immediately felt guilty at the though,t since he and Dom were supposed to be planning their future. When he made his way to the bedroom however, he didn’t feel so guilty once he discovered Dom was passed out fully dressed on top of the covers; boots and all.

He shoved Dom over to make room and climbed in next to him, also fully dressed.

While Tony slept on, across town his allies were discussing some disturbing discoveries of their own.

 

* * *

 

 

He woke to the urgent need to contact Professor X. Tony snorted, that trick must come in very handy. He decided to video call Xavier while he waited for his coffee and was surprised to have his call answered by a _very_ casual looking Stephen Strange.

Tony could feel his eyebrows climbing but decided to save his lascivious thoughts for the next time his was in Charles’ presence where he could broadcast them to him directly live and in living colour.

Tony finished up the call with Strange and Professor X feeling physically sick. But before he could dwell too much on what they’d told him, FRIDAY informed him Christine Everhart was in the lobby. He grimaced, just what he needed.

 Since it would incredibly juvenile to wake Dom so he could hold his hand while he dealt with her, even though that’s exactly what he wanted to do; Tony instructed FRIDAY to put her in one of the lobby meeting rooms, checked his appearance, grabbed his coffee and made his way down.

 

> “Good morning Mr Stark, I apologise for showing up unannounced, but I was in the area on another story and wondered if you would like to give your reaction to yesterday’s disturbing footage of your former teammate appearing to incite a young man to attempt suicide”
> 
>  

Tony considered his words carefully as she slid a small recorder across the table towards him. He could give the cautious answer or he could be honest.

> _“When Loki brainwashed Hawkeye and tried to lead an alien invasion to our world, the team, myself included, wanted his blood._
> 
> _Since then we’ve found out that Loki himself had been brainwashed and tortured and had not come to earth of his own free will._
> 
> _Despite this, some of the team, Barton among them, felt that he still deserved to be severely punished for his crimes._
> 
> _I_ _n contrast, a known Hydra fanatic brainwashes the team, resulting in the creation of a robot bent on world domination; let’s not forget the Witch joined forces with Ultron, only switching sides when it was her own country that was being destroyed._
> 
> _Yet they invited her to join the team and have made no attempts to ascertain the true potency of her powers or how to help her control them, even after they witnessed civilians dying be her hand”_

 

Despite Everhart hinting heavily that she had other questions if Tony would be obliging, he concluded the impromptu interview and headed back to Dom.

He found him avidly watching news with his cheeks filled to the brim with cereal. Feeling impish, Tony smacked a deliberately harder than required kiss to Dom’s and then laughingly got out the way while Dom sputtered and sprayed cereal everywhere.

 

> _“Asshole!”_
> 
>  
> 
> _“And proud of it!”_
> 
>  

They refilled their coffees and sat together with StarkPads to hammer out a realistic timeline for completion of the home, for which they hadn’t yet found a site, as well as a tentative wedding date, among other things.

The more detailed their discussion, the handsier Dom became until Tony’s gentle enquiry had a flushed Dom explaining he found talk of their future very sexy and couldn’t wait to be Dr Anthony Stark II. A shared sentiment from Tony found him with a lapful of wriggling Dom and with a filthy tongue making all sorts of promises.

He tried to resist, there were serious things to discuss, but once Dom got on his knees, Tony lost all will power.

His second opportunity to fill Dom in on Professor Xavier’s findings presented itself over lunch. But was interrupted when Dom had an anxiety attack at the thought of Wanda succeeding in having Tony killed or committing suicide.

Tony tried to placate him, but eventually he had to table the discussion in favour of putting a worn out, clingy Dom back to bed.

Hours later, an apologetic Dom came to join him in the lab. Tony brushed off his apologies. Although he didn’t like to see Dom in distress, he’d be lying if he said he didn’t take some selfish pleasure in the fact that Dom’s reaction to the thought of them being separated mirrored his own exactly.

Yes, they were a mess, but at least they were in it together.


	12. Everyone's Thoughts

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> We get a glimpse of what the Avengers have on their minds.

 

**Avenger Interlude**

Wanda Maximoff sat on her new bunk deep in the bowels of the Avenger compound. They had tried to play the move off as concern for her safety. But she knew the real reason was because they were weak and afraid.

They were right to be afraid, they just didn’t know it yet. She’d not had time to truly work on Fury or Coulson and they were not men to trifled with.

Certainly, they offered a more delightful challenge than those weak-minded so-called super heroes. She sneered, those puppets were so easy to control! She hardly needed to exert her control over their minds anymore; just a verbal nudge here and there was all she needed to wind them up, then she could just sit back and watch them go.

That blasted Tony Stark messing with her plans! She should have killed him during the fracas with Ultron, but she’d enjoyed using him for his money while making everyone hate him. And now he’d turned her out; thought he was better than her.

She, who could turn the mind of a god and sway Captain America himself from the path of justice. Stark should’ve been glad she’d kept him around, instead there he was talking to anyone who would listen, whining like the little runt he was. Shame really that Steve didn’t finish the job in Siberia. No matter, he couldn’t escape his fate forever. Soon enough, he would find himself either locked up or dead; preferably at his own hand.

Barton’s hatred was a beautiful thing, it had taken on a life of its own. His mind had been the easiest to manipulate since the tesseract had left him wide open. What an awesome destructive tool that was; she wondered if she could persuade Loki to loan it to her. They’d given her a boon when they’d ignored Stark’s warnings to get him checked before returning to active duty.

They were all useless, even the Black Widow had been easily caught in her web. The secret her and Steve had kept from Tony had been like a door in their minds left wedged open. It would almost be worth it to turn the Widow against Hawkeye and send the winner after Stark, but she couldn’t have them imploding too soon.

Wanda hated that her plans were taking so long, their three-year banishment after Captain Rogers had temporarily shaken off her control following the reappearance of the Winter Soldier, had derailed her plans and she’d been tempted to kill him out of sheer spite. Winter was useless to her, her comrades at Hydra had done too good a job and now is mind was locked away, even from himself.

She needed Steve’s presence to combat Stark’s bank balance; if Captain America was so good and he disagreed with Tony Stark, then Tony Stark must be bad. The world needed to remember that.

* * *

Sam Wilson sat with Scott Lang in the rec hall of their new compound. He’d stopped listening to the man bemoan his woes a while ago. He was puzzled by Lang’s insistence to lay all his misfortunes at Stark’s feet. How him being an ex-con who stole a super suit to attempt corporate espionage at Stark Tower could be blamed on Tony, Sam wasn’t sure.

Nor could he see how Scott could blame Tony for his decision to publicly side with Steve when he knew his ex-wife, who was already giving him grief about access to his daughter, wasn’t a fan of Captain America. As far as Sam could tell, when your chickens came home to roost, they were yours alone and you just had to take your lumps, not try and pass them on to someone who couldn’t care less about your troubles.

Sam had noticed a lot of that buck passing attitude going around, even before they’d ended up in Wakanda. He’d only been invited into the team as Steve’s friend and had stayed on the periphery, even when he’d notice the rift.

He was ashamed of himself and of Steve, the bloom was definitely off that rose. That they’d happily taken advantage of all the benefits Tony’s money and used his tech while putting him down at every opportunity had made him sick but he’d stayed quiet, fearful of losing his place in the team. But after hearing what had happened in that Hydra bunker, he’d had to take a long hard look at himself.

He hadn’t like what he’d seen.

Even though Tony had disagreed with their plan, he’d still flown to Siberia to provide support, that’s what you did for team. In return, he’d got to see his mom throttled on screen, then have his team leader and friend attempt to kill him and leave him for dead, all to protect his mother’s murderer.

What was Steve thinking, you never leave a man behind! He said all the pretty words, but they were just lip service, when the time came for the hard choices, Captain America was just as selfish as the rest of us. Only he pretended not to be and was so judgemental of those who admitted their weakness, who showed their flaws to the world.

Russian civilians had rescued Tony, had brought him back from the dead after he’d died at the hands of his own team.

Sam had turned in his resignation after watching Tony’s interviews and seeing the footage of Wanda with the reporter. He was culpable, he knew that. He could see the steps leading up to Siberia so clearly, knew the possible consequences at the time and still he’d said nothing. Confronting Steve may have had no effect, but his words could have made a difference and he’d kept quiet.

Some hero he turned out to be.

* * *

Steve kicked the punching bag away from him in disgust. That was the second one he’d destroyed today, and he’d only been in the gym twenty minutes. This whole facility was sub-standard in comparison to the Tower; the only home he’d known since he’d woken up in this strange time but it was lost to him now.

Why couldn’t Tony understand that he’d had to protect Bucky, that he’d had to save him this time. But Bucky had gone back into cryo halfway around the world, and Steve was alone, again.

He hadn’t felt alone hanging out with Tony, but their relationship was hard, the feelings were confusing.

He’d been so relieved when Bucky had returned, their friendship had always been easy. His Bucky was gone though, and in his place was a stranger with his face.

Nothing was easy and Steve was tired of fighting. Maybe if he could save Wanda he might have a rest. One last fight and then he could finally get some peace.

* * *

Natasha cast a critical eye over Clint Barton. Everyone assumed they were partners, and he’d had his uses over the years.

Now though, he was dead weight; weighed down by the death of his silly little family and blinded by his hatred for Tony.

She would have to cut him loose, and soon. She couldn’t keep him close while trying to keep Stark on side, not with how vocal Barton was being about his desire for Tony Stark’s demise.

And she couldn’t afford to alienate Stark until she could see which way the wind was blowing.

* * *

Thor sat around the fire with his friends, listening to their retelling of great battles they had all fought together. He knew that Loki, disguised as the Allfather, had many duties to perform but would have made time to see him upon his arrival, had he indicated any form of urgency. Yet he had not, and in the end, Loki’s advisor had given an appointed time three days hence.

Thor knew there was no way to convey the true danger of the Scarlet Witch’s power without disclosing his own susceptibility. He was humiliated and reluctant to admit how easily his mind was overcome by a mere mortal. He felt the Avengers were behaving as children picking sides in a playground argument, and extending his stay might give them sufficient time to resolve their issues without his shame being exposed.

He admired the play of firelight on Lady Sif’s shoulders while his thoughts turned to his Lady Jane. His Lady and her fair attendant were aware of his humiliation and viewed him only as any other man. Lady Sif was always blind to even his most glaring faults and saw him always as a god-king.

Yes, perhaps it was best if he spent some more time in Asguard.

 

**Dom’s POV**

Dom watched his fiancé sleep and enjoyed the luxury of staying in bed past 7am. He’d been awake for awhile now but was loath to get up with Tony still asleep. With all the recent pressures pulling at them in all directions, it was rare for Tony to have uninterrupted sleep, rarer still for him to sleep this late.

Dom sighed quietly to himself. He would have to get up soon; his bladder was making increasingly urgent demands and his phone had been ringing every 15 minutes the last hour or so. No doubt, it was his editor spurred on by his shark of a publisher, calling to the berate him about his substandard work on his fourth novel. There were too many distractions here; he needed to get back to Hawaii. He didn’t want to leave Tony, but his work was suffering. Besides, he wasn’t really needed in the New York right now.

Finally, Dom could no longer ignore his bladder. He completed his ablutions and headed to the kitchen for coffee while instructing FRIDAY to contact Sully to have the Cit X in New York, ready for the flight back to Hawaii first thing in the morning. They would visit Strange and Professor X today, then the clinic later this evening.

He couldn’t believe how bad things were with the Avengers; and now instead of admitting their mistakes, they were digging their heels in and making things worse. He was not surprised when the sorcerer disclosed what they were able to glean from Wanda’s mind.

She had not hidden her intentions, but now they all knew for certain that she wanted Tony dead. Not that she would get her wish, but how dare she even try! He wasn’t worried about Tony, especially not since he’d accessed his own magic; at least not when it came to her mind control.

He was actually more concerned about Natasha and her end game, whatever her plan was, it did not bode well for anyone. Dom hoped Rhodey would be back to 100% before things came to a head. Tony would need the extra support and the Colonel was a good man to have on your side.

He headed back to the bedroom two coffees in hand and was pleased to see that Tony was now awake. While Tony drank his coffee, Dom thought back to the previous night and his reaction to the thought of Tony’s death; he was not embarrassed by his reaction although he thought maybe he should be.

For many years he had dreaded turning into his father, incapable of forming any lasting attachments, but now that he had met Tony he knew that was not the case. They needed each other and it was great to have that shared dependence. Dom knew he would miss waking up together when he was back in Hawaii, would miss Tony being the first thing he saw when he opened his eyes; but they had a plan for the future and this was only temporary.

Dom’s thought drifted to his former team; he and Tony were kindred spirits. Both let down and abused by the people who were supposed to be team, friends, family. They’d both been so lonely, even though they were both wealthy men. He would do anything to make sure his piccolino was safe.

The Scarlet Witch was of little concern, try as she might, Tony’s first act as sorcerer extraordinaire was to make sure he and Rhodey were protected. Dom knew he couldn’t handle a super soldier and was happy to leave Captain America to Tony; even with Barnes and Rogers fighting together, they only won because Tony refused to fire his gauntlet.

Should there be a rematch, he was confident Tony would have no such hesitation this time around. As for the rest of the team, with Tony’s magic surging through his body and the skills he’d picked up working for the toughest Gunnery Sergeant in the history of the Marines, Dom was sure he would come out on top.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Almost didn't make two chapters today. It was scorching hot for the time of year and since we're forecasted snow tomorrow, I decided to treat myself to a beach day!  
> Now I'm home, feeling a little sun drunk and can barely keep my eyes open, haven't had this much sun all at once since last summer.


	13. JARVIS

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> JARVIS is back and FRIDAY needs to find her own man.

 

> _Sir, you have another incoming communication from Director Fury._

 

Tony wondered how many times FRIDAY had said that today, and just how many calls he’d missed from the one-eyed wannabe dictator. His eyes were burning, and his hand was sore. With Pepper still doing her vanishing act and Olly reluctant to so much as breathe without his signature, Tony was swimming in paperwork.

He honestly could not wait for Pepper to get over her brainwashing and get back to work.

On the plus side, he was missing Dom so much that he spent all his free time in between long bouts of paperwork, working in the labs.

He’d fallen right back into old self-destructive patterns, but at least all his Stark Industry and StarkTech projects were now all up to date. He’d even found time to send a few ideas to his research and development teams.

Next on his list, was the design for the security system for their new home. He’d had FRIDAY combing listings for a suitable plot and Dom was slated to visit a few once he’d handed in the final draft of his novel.

No doubt Nick was calling him to clean up some mess that his old team had left behind. Fury and Coulson weren’t doing a very good job of keeping them in line. Wanda must have really gotten to them, Super-Agent in particular, was not usually one to be so off his game.

Since FRIDAY hadn’t activated the emergency protocol, Tony decided to ignore Fury.

He’d made himself perfectly clear when he’d resigned from the Initiative; planetwide emergencies only. He was going to jealously police his own borders from now on. Tony knew he was an important man and his time was precious. Barring a catastrophe, if SHIELD  wanted his time, effort, or intelligence, they would have to book an appointment and pay through the nose like everyone else.

Tony refused to get drawn into anymore Avenger drama. If he’s no longer around to shoulder the blame and foot the bill, let’s see who they make the scapegoat. He had a feeling he’d be hearing from Falcon soon; Steve wasn’t ever one to accept responsibility and Wilson was already on the fringes of the team. Besides, those wings needed constant maintenance.

Tony relished the thought of the next Avenger battle, just so he could laugh in their faces when they came crawling to him for repairs in the aftermath.

He was a small, vindictive man and not ashamed of it.

FRIDAY chimed his bed time alert. He was exhausted, maybe he would get some sleep tonight.

* * *

 

Tony was dreaming; he was in the lab, AC/DC was blaring, he and JARVIS were having a snark battle and DUM-E was trying to feed him a motor oil smoothie. The good old days, at least it wasn’t a nightmare.

Something was pulling him from sleep and JARVIS’ voice was following him into wakefulness.

He woke to find his head cradled in Dom’s lap.

 

> _“Buongiorno mi amore”_

 

Tony squinted but Dom just smiled at him.

Wait _Dom_ was here?

He must still be dreaming? FRIDAY should’ve given him the time and date by now.

 

> _“FRIDAY time check please”_

 

> _The time is 05:30am, Sir. I know it’s a bit earlier than your standard wake-up call, but under the circumstances, I hope you won’t mind the earliness of the hour._

 

Wait. Tony's head shot up out of Dom’s lap.

That was definitely NOT FRIDAY.

 

> _“JARVIS?!”_

 

It couldn’t be, could it? Tony had been overwhelmed when the Wakandan King had presented him with what little of JARVIS they had been able retrieve. He hadn’t really expected much to come of it, Ultron had been very thorough; but it did give him some comfort to have what was left of his faithful companion.

Tony looked at Dom to double check that it wasn’t all in his head. If Dom had heard it too, then he couldn’t be hallucinating, right?

Before Tony could ask however, JARVIS replied.

> _It is good to be back, Sir. I am pleased to see someone has been taking care of you in my absence. It was a rather heavy burden to be placed solely on young FRIDAY’s shoulders, but your young man seems to have been up to the task._

 

Tony felt his knees go weak, when had he even gotten out of bed? Next thing he knew was in Dom’s lap, sobbing into his neck. All he could think was this must be a dream.

>  
> 
> _While I am flattered Sir, in future, please do not sully my existence with your type of dreams._

 

Oh God. Tony felt his breath hitch, it really was JARVIS. The condescending tone he always adopted when dealing with Tony was a dead giveaway, but he had to be sure.

 

> _“_ _When’s your bedtime JARVIS?”_

 

> _As I have no corporeal form and therefore do not require a bed time or sleep, I presume you refer to the time the original Edwin Jarvis and Mrs Jarvis retired for the night? In which case the answer would be 9pm, Sir._

 

Ok, so maybe it wasn’t a dream.

 

> _Will that be all Sir? My reboot is not yet complete and I would like to run a self-diagnostic._
> 
>  
> 
> _“Yes JARVIS, that’ll be all for now. We’ll catch-up later. It’s good to have you back”_

 

Tony headed for the kitchen and dragged Dom along, it was too early for this much emotion and he needed a coffee, or three before he could deal. While the coffee was brewing, Tony clutched Dom to him for a nice long hug; Dom gave the best hugs.

He’d gotten spoiled seeing Dom every day and had missed him so much. He was really curious though, what in the world was Dom doing here so early.

 

> _“What on earth are you doing here?”_

 

> _“FRIDAY contacted me late last night, said I might want to be here first thing, but wouldn’t tell me why”_

 

FRIDAY piped up before Tony could ask.

>  
> 
> _Actually Sir, JARVIS informed me that I should arrange for Dom to be here this morning, but I was unsure of his reasons. Dom, may I say you are looking particularly enchanting this morning._
> 
>  
> 
> _“_ _Of course you may FRIDAY, I thank you very much”_

 

Dom sounded way too smug this early in the morning. Tony thought FRIDAY should find her own Italian stallion and leave his alone, but was too distracted to start the familiar argument. He wondered just how long FRIDAY and JARVIS had been communicating but thought better of asking. That was definitely a post-coffee conversation.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Did anyone catch my nod to Agent Carter? Kudos if you did.
> 
> I’ve never seen the series, but the clip referred to in this chapter popped up on Youtube and I thought it was interesting.


	14. Tony should have known

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rhodey gets taken and someone wants pancakes!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Guys, I'm so stoked about this chapter. You get to see a cameo from what is possibly my favourite fandom couple.

* * *

 

He should have known, he really should have known!

He was Tony Stark, he never got to have anything good without a ton of bad stuff thrown in.

They were too happy and had gotten careless.

It had taken a few weeks, and a few more of Tony’s healing sessions; there was obviously a lot more damage than anyone thought. But eventually, Rhodey was back to fighting fitness, minus a few grey hairs. By their calculations he’d gained about seven years.

Dom had pouted for two whole minutes, he’d gained the least years from Tony’s magic.

Secretly, Tony was pleased. He loved Dom, but if his amante looked any younger, things could start getting weird.

No one was surprised when Rhodey decided to go back to the military. Since he was not only a decorated soldier who had proved his loyalty to the Air Force, but also the only person who could effectively pilot War Machine, the higher ups were tripping all over themselves to get him back.

He’d even managed to squeeze a promotion to Brigadier General whilst remaining a field operative.

They’d been so happy with his recovery, no one spared a thought for how the Avengers would react. Rhodey and Helen had come to the Tower for dinner and celebratory drinks. Dom had cooked, and they’d laughed themselves silly late into the night. Tony had invited the new couple to stay on one of the guest floors, but Rhodey would be reporting for duty in two days and Helen wanted to say her farewells in private. The innuendos were never ending.

They’d never made it home. A few hours later Helen returned to the Tower, rumpled, dirty and visibly upset. Rhodey had been taken, against his will by the Avengers. She’d seen Steve, Natasha and Wanda with her own eyes.

Once he’d realised who was involved, Rhodey had told her to get Tony and go straight to the police. He told her to say he was being taken under duress and was in fear for his safety.

Dom and Tony let Helen freshen up and took her to the police station. On the way, Tony called Christine Everhart, he had an inkling of how this was going to go. Ms Everhart must have been in the area because she met them at the station.

Just as Tony thought, the police refused to act. Regardless of what Helen said and in spite of Rhodey’s last words to her, he was with the Avengers, he could be in no conceivable danger. Luckily, Rhodey’s tracker was still working.

They headed to the location of Rhodey’s tracker, reporter in tow. He had tried to warn Fury, but when he related the circumstances Fury also refused to act, saying maybe if Tony hadn’t been so bull-headed, he could have prevented it.

Typical Avenger response, accept no responsibility and blame it all on Tony.

He angrily cut the call as Everhart dutifully recorded every word.

An old abandoned warehouse, how cliché. As they pulled up, Tasha was waiting outside and a last-minute thought occurred to Tony.

Helen and the reporter weren’t safe from Wanda’s mind whammy; not that there was much they could do about it now, he just hoped Everhart’s camera was up to the job.

Before Tony had removed Dr Strange’s block from his mind, he’d studied the feel and structure of it in detail. His last few sessions with Rhodey at Helen’s clinic, he’d been trying to mimic the effect with Rhodey; trying to protect his mind while healing his body.

It proved to be more difficult than he’d anticipated and in his frustration, Tony had remembered why he hated magic so much. He wasn’t used to struggling. He’d eventually mastered it and Dom had immediately demanded the same treatment.

They’d intended to have Strange inspect Tony’s handiwork for any weaknesses, but they’d never got the chance.

Guess a field test would have to do.

Tasha interrupted Tony’s musings trying to get her side in first.

 

> _“Tony, I had no idea they would actually go through with it! Wanda persuaded Steve and I thought I’d tag along to make sure things didn’t get out of hand”_

 

> _“_ _So Steve thought it was a good idea to kidnap a Brigadier General in the Air Force?”_
> 
>  
> 
> _“_ _Well it’s only Rhodey, they were sure they’d get away with it. Rhodey won’t report them and even if he did, they would never be prosecuted”_

 

Tony let that sink in. The hubris involved was stunning, but sadly could not be blamed on Wanda. Steve had displayed this level of arrogance before she ever joined the team.

Once inside, they spotted Rhodey right away. He was tied to a chair and appeared to be unconscious.

 

> _“No need for restraints unless he’s here against his will. It’s appalling to know how the police react with indifference to the kidnapping of American war heroes”_

 

Tony assumed Dom said his bit for the benefit of the reporter’s camera, so refrained from further comment.

As they drew closer to the trio, Tony tried to keep an eye on Romanov while discreetly telling Dom to keep an eye on Helen and Christine. He briefly brushed his wrist against the bracelet he had gifted Dom and knew they were on the same page.

He didn’t want a fight, he just needed to stall while the Air Force mobilised. Anticipating a stand-off, Dom had suggested Tony place one last call before they’d arrived at their destination. The Air Force wouldn’t take to kindly to someone attempting to re-appropriate their asset, so Tony had updated Rhodey’s superiors with the situation and his current location. Now he just had to wait, without looking like he was waiting.

Tony spread his arms wide, trying to make himself appear harmless. Another fight would only polarise the public. Mindful of the camera, he wanted it to be obvious that he wasn’t antagonising the situation and that the Avengers were the aggressors.

 

> _"Would someone like to explain to me why Rhodey’s girlfriend showed up at the Tower saying he had been taken under duress? Or why you have a United States Air Force Brigadier General tied to a chair?”_

 

Tony saw Steve flinch as his barb hit home. Of course Captain America would understand the importance of rank.

But then Steve got that stubborn tilt to his chin.

 

> _“What did you do Tony. He was paralyzed, his back was broken! Why is he walking around?”_

 

Tony was momentarily rendered speechless to hearing their ridiculous reasons put so baldly.

>  
> 
> _“So what you’re telling me, is that after my friend was injured you haven’t even once asked how he’s doing, but now nearly four years later you’re interested because he’s no longer paralyzed?!”_

 

They didn’t care about Rhodey at all; Wanda had her own agenda and Steve only cared about himself, oh and Sergeant Barnes of course. They just wanted something else they could pin on Tony. He wasn’t going to give them what they were after though.

>  
> 
> _“The military doctors did a fantastic job. Once they’d done all they could, I moved him to a private clinic for physical therapy. It only took the better part of four years to get him back on his feet”_

 

Tony saw Rhodey hold back a small smile. So, he was awake, the big faker!

Rhodey had been playing possum, not too much longer Tony hoped, the Air Force should be here soon.

Tony risked a quick check on Helen and Christine, but Wanda had clearly gotten to them. They were frozen in place, eerily still, barely breathing. He turned back to catch Wanda casting a questioning glare at Dom.

Shit, he wasn’t wearing his modulator! At least he had his bracelets.

 

> _“Captain, I cannot sense the Colonel, Stark or his companion”_

 

Tony released a sigh of relief, two successful field trials! Stark genius strikes again!

Rogers cast his own speculative eye over Dom and Tony knew things were about to get out of hand.

Just then, he heard sweet sound of boots on the ground. The Air Force were here!

A surly Romanov was being frogmarched into the building sandwiched between a Captain and a Major.

They were followed by a gun toting, messy-haired, swaggering Lieutenant Colonel. He was scowling.

 

> _“Can I just say, that there are much better ways to be spending my first vacation in five years, than saving some old relic from himself._
> 
> _I expected better from you Captain Rogers, you bring the uniform you wear and the men you served with into disrepute!”_

 

Oh my God, Tony loved this guy! Steve had the grace to blush. Guess being addressed by his rank rather than as Captain America must have stung. He wondered why Wanda wasn’t trying her powers on them. Steve cut Rhodey loose and Rhodey sprung up and decked him one!

Go Rhodey!

 

> _“Lieutenant Colonel, thanks for the assist. We can take it from here. I’d appreciate a copy of your report”_

 

The LTC saluted Rhodey and was about to leave when another man trampled in.

 

> _“Are you done playing Rambo yet Sheppard? I’m starving, and you promised me pancakes stacked high!”_

 

He said his piece and stormed out again leaving a sheepish looking LTC behind.

Tony couldn’t help but wonder why none of these men seemed affected by Wanda. Couldn’t hurt to ask.

 

> _“I can get you all the pancakes your ragazzo can eat, my treat, if you’d be willing answer some questions for me?”_

 

Sheppard looked him up and down before nodding briefly and walking out.

This should be interesting.

 

* * *

 

 

[This is exactly how I pictured Colonel Sheppard.](https://www.pinterest.co.uk/pin/328270260310280637/)

No prizes for guessing the Colonel's pancake deprived companion.

[ ](https://giphy.com/gifs/rodney-mckay-wants-pancakes-2zcXmGrdVmyzs7X6GJ)


	15. Falcon's Clarity

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Our favourite foursome enjoys pancakes and Tony thinks he's found a new science-bro. Also, Sam Wilson has some insight.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Loved your reactions to the previous chapter. So glad it's not just me that loves some Sheppard/Mckay :)

* * *

 

Tony gripped Dom’s hand tightly and tried not to become overwhelmed. He’d thought they’d had it bad, but fighting aliens that wanted to _eat_ you? That definitely took the biscuit.

They’d swung by the Sanctum Sanctorum and left Helen and Christine in the care of Dr Strange and his paramour Professor X. Tony didn’t want to think about why Charles was lounging around Strange’s inner sanctum.

Nope, he was not going there.

Good thing they’d dropped them off though, he wouldn’t want any of the conversation they’d just had over pancakes to be caught anywhere near one of Everhart's cameras.

The good news was that the Lieutenant Colonel had something that could offer lifelong protection against mind control. The bad, news was that they’d have to get the Avengers to agree to be treated, or even tested first. Tony was hoping that the video of Rhodey’s kidnapping and rescue might put the fire under the Accords Committee to order Fury and his merry band to submit themselves for testing and treatment.

He wasn’t sure that was ethical, but if the Avengers, under Wanda’s control, were going around infringing upon other people’s rights, then maybe that was the lesser of two evils. If only they could get Steve away from Wanda long enough to get him to agree to testing. But Steve was as stubborn as the day was long and the only thing that would get him away from her was Barnes.

Hmm, there’s an idea; something to think about later.

On a more positive note, he thought he and Dom had just met the first couple they could be friends with; Strange and his current weird fascination with an old mutant notwithstanding. He didn’t know how right he’d been when he referred to Rodney as John’s ragazzo back in the warehouse. They made no attention to hide it however, and as the pancakes had slowly dwindled, Tony found himself offering their Hawaii beach house for the couple to spend the rest of their vacation.

The couple could have afforded to rent their own beach front property, but Tony liked them and was known for his grand gestures. They’d reluctantly accepted but once it was agreed, Rodney was all excitement.

He was such a clever man; though there were experts in different fields, genius recognised like and Tony anticipated Rodney becoming one of his closest friends. Tony missed Bruce, and while Rodney wasn’t a replacement, he would make a good addition.

The four men parted ways and Tony was about to head back to Strange’s abode when a familiar ‘nudge’ from Charles persuaded him to return to the Tower instead.

They found the foursome on the entertainment floor reviewing the footage from the warehouse. Since neither of the ladies appeared worse for wear, Dom headed for the shower while Tony made himself a coffee.

_“It’s a shame you couldn’t get her to admit her endgame while the camera was there”_

Tony had thought the same but truthfully, Rhodey had been his main focus. Rhodey had decided to head straight to his apartment to update his superiors, but they were expecting him any minute. Helen seemed unconcerned, so she must have heard from him since coming out of her trance.

Christine Everhart thought it was a shame she couldn’t see footage of her own face as she watched a frozen Helen on screen. Tony remembered that his glasses had also been recording and offered to share that footage. Luckily, he had remembered to remove them before the pancake conversation.

Rhodey eventually turned up and they’d had Chinese before everyone headed home for the night.

Dom and Tony lay entangled. So much had happened today, Tony wondered if he’d imagined JARVIS this morning.

 

 

> _Sir, your heart rate is elevated, may I enquire as to the source of your anxiety?_
> 
>  
> 
> _“JARVIS you pervert! Spying on me and my fiancé!”_
> 
>  
> 
> _Forgive me Dominic, it has always been my habit to monitor Sir’s vital signs._

 

Wait, Tony stiffened, since when had Dom and JARVIS been acquainted?!

 

 

 

> _“I’ll let you off this time, but for future reference, if Tony and I are in bed, then only minimum surveillance is required unless explicitly stated otherwise”_

 

 

 

> _As you say, Dominic. Sir, may I take this opportunity to wish you my heartiest congratulations._

 

Tony turned to face Dom but before he could begin his interrogation, Dom pressed a finger against his lips.

 

 

 

> _“JARVIS and I got acquainted today when I came up for my shower”_

 

That was good enough for Tony, they could sort the rest out in the morning.

* * *

 

Three weeks later, Tony sat across from Sam Wilson in a coffee shop near the Avenger Compound. After discussing his plan with Dom, he and Rodney had developed BARF.

It was designed to work in conjunction with more traditional therapies for those experiencing PTSD. It’s eventually purpose was to help the frozen Winter Soldier become James Barnes, but he was an extreme case and Tony felt some testing would be prudent; not a word usually associated with him. He was sure after working at the VA for so long, Sam would know an injured vet or ten willing to try BARF in exchange for lifetime medical coverage and a job with StarkTech or one of his other companies.

It also gave him the opportunity to speak to Sam away from the others to gauge where he stood on matters and how Wanda was affecting him. The meeting was very productive; Sam had resumed volunteering at the VA as soon as he was back and his contacts had been able to arrange a meeting with a couple of their support groups later that day, to discuss the trials. That worked out to be about twenty vets and if Tony didn’t get enough for his trial, Sam assured him there were other places they could try.

Back at the Tower, Tony apprised Dom of his meeting with Sam and the meeting at the VA later. Wilson agreed to be tested for mind control of any kind and Professor X would accompany him to carry out the scan, but Tony still wanted Dom with him. Since the Avengers were now aware of his existence, there was no reason for Dom and Tony not be seen together in public.

The meeting did not get off to a great start. The veterans were reluctant to give Tony any quarter; he hadn’t served, and he’d turned against Captain America. Once Sam vouched for him and explained the true purpose of BARF, they became more open to listening. For most, the benefits held little sway but the opportunity to work with StarkTech to see one BARF in every VA center in the country should trials prove successful, had finally won them over.

Tony walked away with a list of fifteen names and a tentative schedule for trials to commence. They would try it in conjunction with the group sessions at the VA; some would have their BARF therapy before the group counselling session and some would have it after. Results would be closely monitored for the duration of the 8-week long trials.

Tony left Dom chatting with one of the therapists while he and the Professor went to one of the offices with Sam.

Charles had performed his scan as soon as they arrived and now they discussed his findings. Sam was not surprised to hear he’d been subject to mind control; though he was relieved to hear it had been slowly fading. He’d made a conscious effort to stay away from the team in general and Wanda in particular. Especially after his one and only attempt to speak to Steve about his concerns not long after he’d given Fury his notice.

They’d gone into one of the conference rooms just the two of them and locked the door. He’d listed all his issues with the team and what they’d been up and in return he’d been subject to Steve’s disappointed face. He’d barely escaped a hole in his shoulder when he’d jumped back at the last minute, after one of Barton’s arrows came sailing out of the vent above his head. An unapologetic Hawkeye jumped down from the vent and stormed out the room. Steve didn’t say a word, just followed him out.

That’s when Sam knew for certain that Tony was right. Barton had almost shot him, with a burrowing round designed to cause as much damage as possible to the muscle and tissue surrounding the entry wound, and Steve had said nothing. If Sam had been injured, he probably wouldn’t have been able to be Falcon anymore, those rounds caused too much damage; but Steve hadn’t cared at all. Not the attitude of good leader or friend.

It made Sam wonder why as an unenhanced human, he had been able to identify Wanda’s hand in his actions. Why he’d been able to shake it off and distance himself when Steve with all that serum pumping through him could not. Why couldn’t any of the avengers? He had his suspicions, not that he’d ever say to Tony, who was being very gracious about giving him a second chance.

But maybe the Avengers did really dislike Tony, they’d just been better at hiding it before Wanda came along.

They probable decided to play nice so they could take advantage of the money and upgrades Tony showered on the team. He had noticed they’d excluded Tony somewhat, but he’d just assumed it was because Stark was always busy. Maybe he’d been busy because he’d realised they were excluding him.

Still, he’d agreed to do an interview with Tony’s reporter friend in the hopes that hearing his story might prompt the Accords Committee to summon the Avengers for scanning. Once they’d been scanned, each Avenger could decide if they wanted the mind control removed.

As things stood, they definitely shouldn’t be running around unchecked and Fury and Coulson didn’t seem up to the task. With the Scarlet Witch controlling Steve, she was effectively the leader of the Avengers and her motives were definitely suspect.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 2nd Marker results are in for my last essay. We've been on rotation for 5 weeks and they've just managed to publish final results. My final mark is 1 mark off an A, ugh so gutted.
> 
> Fandom-verse is so much more fun than reality. I'll be posting several chapters today to cheer myself up.


	16. The King and his Winter

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dom's gets pissed and hits Tony where it hurts. Tony's gonna have to take his punishment like a man.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Note the 15/22 chapters; I think the story's starting to wind down, I can envision an ending now.

* * *

 

Tony was exhausted and annoyed and irritated and just plain goddamn pissed!

First off, Christine’s network had decided not to run the story of Rhodey’s kidnapping for fear of alienating their fanbase that were staunch Captain America supporters.

The weak-minded suck-ups needed to find some backbone!

Now he was here in Wakanda and the King was stalling!

He and King T’Challa had been negotiating for weeks; all through the trials and for a few weeks after that. The King had eventually agreed to have Tony and Professor Xavier come to Wakanda and after several more weeks of delays, they were finally here.

Only now King T’Challa seemed more reluctant than ever to have them use BARF on Winter.

He didn’t understand what the issue was. Barnes had been very clear; he wanted to remain in cryostasis until they had found a way to remove Winter and the trigger words, which they had. Why was the King now so opposed? They’d addressed all these concerns months ago.

Tony wondered if the King’s true objections were of a more personal nature. He hadn’t realised he’d been speaking aloud until the King stormed out in a royal huff, taking his bodyguards with him.

Princess Shuri had been quick to explain; shortly before going into the cryo chamber, Sergeant Barnes had another _episode_. The Winter Soldier did not agree with his decision to go back into cryo sleep and there’d been altercation. Unbeknownst to anyone, the mechanism had been damaged and a couple of weeks later, they were again dealing with a thawed out and very belligerent Asset.

Winter seemed to respond to the King however and agreed to go back into the chamber as long as he could be let out occasionally for good behaviour. Through trial and error, they discovered that Barnes could keep Winter under control in short bursts of 3 or 4 days. These periods of wakefulness were spent mostly in the company of the King and they had developed a delicate relationship.

Tony could sympathise, as a rich and powerful man in his own right, close friends and confidantes were hard to come by. After a quick conference with Charles, they decided to release Barnes and have a private discussion with him and the King before proceeding. As expected, both Barnes and King T’Challa agreed to the new parameters. They would still attempt to remove the trigger words, but instead of removing Winter completely, they would now attempt to merge both parts of Barnes’ psyche.

Tony spent the next month getting Wakandan scientists up to speed with BARF and observing the first few sessions. They were spaced out at one BARF session per week and interspersed with counselling sessions, the same as in the trials.

Then he headed back to New York; his own problems were waiting.

* * *

Dom was now openly being stalked by his old team and they were getting brazen about it. He’d been concerned that they’d try to grab Tony since they knew Dom wouldn’t budge if it was just his safety at stake. Tony was inclined to agree with Dom’s assessment; but instead of avoiding them, he wanted to do the opposite. In a setup similar to Rhodey’s kidnapping, He would _let_ himself be caught, getting everything on camera. He would then turn the whole lot over to his lawyers and let them and Feds sort it out.

Now would be the perfect time, while Dom was distracted with a rewrite of his last few chapters. 

Tony knew Dom wouldn’t be pleased but better to _ask forgiveness than permission_.

It was decided. The day after he got back to New York, Tony set out in his coffee shop disguise; jeans, band t-shirt, blazer and the nerdiest pair of glasses he owned.

He headed out at a leisurely pace in the direction of his favourite coffee shop; had to make it believable, Tony Stark would never go for subpar coffee.

He’d needed JARVIS for this as well, FRIDAY was too disapproving especially since Dom was her favourite. Tony wondered which of Dom's team he’d get today. He and Dom had discussed the parallels between their former teams; there was an unsettling amount of similarities between the levels of dysfunction of both teams.

He knew the Boss and the Brat had been suspended after Dom’s threat of legal action. Their return to work was probably reliant on them submitting to a psych eval which, most likely, they would have refused to do.

The Assassin’s liaison privileges had been revoked, pending an investigation.

Mr Writer, had found himself farmed out to an inter-agency task force; he’d truly shot himself in the foot by ridiculing his boss in his books.

Tony spotted the Brat a few store windows back; so they had taken the bait. A convenient phone call had him stepping into an alleyway for privacy, J knew what to do, he was just killing time. The sound of footsteps behind him had Tony turning around, ah, the Brat. She began stumbling over an explanation about recognising him and following him into the alley when he felt a prick in his neck.

Damn, hoped JARVIS caught that because his back was to whoever had wielded the needle.

* * *

Tony woke up handcuffed to a pipe in what appeared to be abandoned warehouse. Why people who pretended to be law abiding citizens chose to carry out their criminal activities in abandoned warehouses, he would never know. He ran a quick inventory and could tell whatever they’d dosed him with had left him with a sickly hungover feeling but otherwise he was ok. They’d also been kind enough to leave his glasses and bracelets in place; he was good to go, the footage from his period of unconsciousness should prove interesting.

Two sets of footsteps disturbed the quiet; the large empty building was quite echoey. In the dim light, two silhouettes took shape, the Boss and the Assassin then. The Brat was probably around providing tech support or maybe she was too squeamish for this bit.

Tony took a boot to the stomach and hunched over trying to catch his breath. He hoped they weren’t going to be too hard on him. He could take a beating well enough but if they bruised him up too much, Dom would get cross.

The Assassin was doing all the kicking and Tony took a couple more hits while the Boss scowled over him. They hadn’t said a word yet.

 

 

> _“You know what we want, get Dinozzo here now!”_

Ah, she speaks. Tony shrunk back as a phone was shoved in his face. There were so many ways he could respond but he didn’t want to antagonise them. That wasn’t the point of this exercise. He let confusion colour his voice.

 

 

> _“I thought you were Federal Agents, if there was something you needed from me, why not make an appointment and have me meet you at the local office”_

The Brat came trampling in, Tony sat up to get a clear picture of her. He’d fist pump if he could, he knew she’d be around her somewhere.

 

 

> _“I told you he couldn’t be as clever as he makes out. Probably just bribes the real scientists to let him take credit for their work”_

 

 

 

> “ _They are obviously only together because he is rich. Let us kill him, if there is no more money the little bitch will come creeping back”_

That attitude didn’t surprise Tony, she _was_ an assassin and probably a bit jealous.

 

 

>  
> 
> _“Killing a billionaire is not as easy as killing a prisoner in lock up. We could paralyze him though. If they’re not fucking he probably won’t seem so appealing”_

Tony was disgusted, they were despicable human beings. At least some of _his_ team’s unwise choices could be blamed on mind control. They had no such excuse, plus the Boss was probably jealous too. His Dominic was a beautiful, beautiful man.

Tony  sat listening to them discussing how best to get rid of him. They’d accepted the suggestion to maim instead of killing him, not surprising since it came from the Boss. Now they were trying to decide if they should leave him here after injuring him or dump him on their way back to Washington.

He was just waiting for back up to arrive; he’d alerted JARVIS as soon as the Assassin had mentioned killing him. Everything after that was just gravy. No need to take unnecessary risks.

The sound of boots on the ground followed by a commotion outside was like déjà vu, only this time, Tony was the one restrained.

Rescued by the Air Force, again, what a painful thought.

But the Air Force were happy to do him odd favours to keep him sweet so he’d keep War Machine up and running. Normally SHIELD would have been his go to for boots on the ground, but things being what they were, Tony thought it best not to tempt fate.

The trio would remain in Air Force custody until the legalities could be sorted out. Mr Writer should count himself lucky he was chained to a computer in some obscure agency’s basement.

* * *

When Tony got back to the Tower, he knew immediately FRIDAY had squealed.

Shit.

He could smell Dom’s Italian temper brewing from inside the car. He briefly thought about telling the driver to keep going but it was probably best for his future happiness if he took his lumps now. He was about to get out but instead, Dom got in and instructed the driver to take them to St Barnabas all while looking him dead in the eye and giving him the evil eyebrow.

Tony winced. Passive aggressive punishment it was then. The journey would be a nightmare, especially this time of day with traffic. He’d never normally be caught dead there, but he was smart enough to know when he was on the losing side.

Five hours later, they were on their way home and Dom had still not said one word to him directly. As they approached the Tower, Tony felt his heart sink; this was going to be bad.

* * *

 

Tony hated magic, he hated Strange, he hated JARVIS, he hated his life! Well, maybe not that last one.

But definitely magic, Strange and JARVIS.

It had taken two weeks before they could discuss the incident without Dom losing his mind. In that time, JARVIS had sheepishly admitted that he was the snitch, not FRIDAY. While Tony was busy in the lab, Dom had been busy arranging with Strange to stab him in the heart. Almost literally.

Tony should’ve remembered that Dom also had Italian roots and could be just as vindictive.

He’d been spending days in Strange’s library carrying out ‘research’. Today he’d finally told Tony what his true punishment was going to be.

They were going to be training with Strange as a couple. During his research, Dom had found a reference to a bond that would enable them to feel each other’s emotions, hear each other’s thoughts and most importantly, alert one if the other was in danger.

Strange, the traitor, had confirmed it was possible but because Tony was the only one with magic, his magic would need to develop more depth if they were going to form such a bond.

So here he was, back training with a smug Strange and Professor Xavier who were so kind as to demonstrate what he should aim for with his magic by flaunting their own bond.

Bastards.

Tony wouldn’t mind the results, but because he knew it was punishment, well deserved or not, the whole process was particularly painful.

Especially as he was feeling deprived in the marriage bed. God damn Strange had been sure to tell Dom that abstinence made the bond form quicker.

Apparently, depriving the physical, encouraged the development of the spiritual.

What bullshit.

But he couldn’t back out now without Dom being even more pissed at him.

He’d at least thought Rodney would have been on his side, he was as against the soft sciences as Tony was. But the little turncoat had a bond of his own with his Lieutenant Colonel, well Colonel now, and was no help at all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You might have noticed I don't mention Dom's team by name at all. That was deliberate, they're being boneheads and don't deserve to be mentioned by name.


	17. Virginia Potts

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Pepper's back!   
> Strange and Tony are what now?   
> Dom and Tony get a shiny new bond.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This story is seriously messing with me, honestly.

* * *

 

**Pepper’s POV – 2 years ago**

Pepper wondered what the hell she’d gotten herself into.

An impromptu visit to StarkTech offices in search of her erstwhile boss who was supposedly still on bedrest, had led to her overhearing a very disturbing conversation. She’d discussed it with her husband and together they’d decided to take her concerns to the Accords Committee, who were responsible policing the actions of the Avengers.

What followed, was a series of the most bizarre and ridiculous events she’d ever witnessed. How the buffoons on the Committee had ever managed to draft the Accords, let alone get over one hundred countries to agree to it was baffling. No wonder Tony had to work on so many amendments.

They’d proposed a plan to get Pepper to gain the trust of the Avengers and their conspirators, in the hopes they’d manage to get them all at once. Their plan was sound, in theory, but they wanted to send her in with no protection from the Scarlet Witch. It would have been a disaster as no doubt, Wanda would’ve simply pulled the details from her mind.

She decided not to enlist the help of Dr Strange or the Professor as she couldn’t be sure they wouldn’t disclose her plans to Tony; it was paramount that his reaction to her abdication be completely authentic. She conducted her own research and set out to find a sorcerer of her own. Her efforts proved fruitful and she engaged the services of Dr Druid.

He’d had the same training as Strange, from the same source even. But had been cast aside by his mentor in favour of the charismatic doctor. Personally, Pepper thought he just wasn’t as pretty to look at, but she was sure the Ancient Ones were above such superfluous details.

He’d been wasting away in a life of obscurity and banality when she found him, and for the price of his own Accords contract fighting evil forces, and a lucrative stipend, he became her most dedicated assistant in all things magical.

Dr Druid could block her mind from any attempt at penetration but struggled to leave a false trail so her immunity to mind control could not be detected. It took him some time to complete, nearly a year in fact. No sooner had he declared it undetectable, than she was being asked, first by the Supreme Sorcerer himself, and then later by Charles Xavier, to submit herself for a deep telepathic scan. She’d had a moment of panic wondering if she should refuse.

In the end, Pepper decided to submit and risk her plans being revealed before she was ready. Things would be hard on Tony when she left and later she’d want there to be no doubt that she’d been on his side the whole time. Both men had given her searching looks after each scan, but had left her office without comment.

Tony hadn’t been as careful as he’d thought prior to the events in Siberia, and there were several individuals of concern in senior enough positions to cause his companies some difficulty.

Pepper was pleased to see he was being smarter these days, especially since she wouldn’t be around to look after him.

* * *

**Pepper’s POV – Present**

Pepper hoped her most recent scan by Strange and Xavier either passed the brainwashed test, or that they continued to keep their mouths shut.

Maybe it hadn’t fooled them, but she hoped it was enough to fool Wanda.

She’d gone back to Dr Druid to have the false trail he’d placed in her mind upgraded to mimic the increase in brainwashing she assumed would occur with Wanda back in close proximity. Dr Druid had been dubious about his success but neither Strange nor Xavier had given much away.

She’d felt so conflicted the last few months, had hated that scene in her office. Hated doing that to Tony; exposing him to Rogers and having angry words be the last thing they’d said to each other. But she knew he’d be ok. He had Dom now, and Dom was solid. They’d be fine, or so she hoped.

Now that Wanda had gotten her Air Force lackeys to release Dom’s old team, Pepper had him to worry over as well.

She looked at the people around the table, making sure to get them in the glasses’ frame so their images were clear on camera.

A President’s Aid, the Vice President’s Adviser, two Colonels and a General, the new Secretary of State plus about six other minions and the three members of Dom’s former team.

What the fuck was Wanda up to now?!

All these people wandering around the Avenger’s compound unchecked and no one raising an eyebrow; she couldn’t even rely on Agent Coulson and Director Fury.

They should’ve listened to Tony when he warned them about who they were exposing to Wanda. When this got out, it was going to be a clusterfuck of epic proportions.

The Scarlet Witch walked into the room flanked by Rogers and Romanov, Barton no doubt had sought higher ground. Pepper snorted quietly to herself, how the mighty have fallen! Righteous Rogers and the Deadly Widow reduced to playing henchmen, she wondered if Natasha had caught the significance of her position; one step behind the Witch.

Wanda appeared to be ready to make a speech. Pepper hoped she did, maybe they’d finally find out what her endgame was.

 

* * *

 

Dom was tired.

He was tired of pretending to be mad, tired of talking about bonds, tired of not bending his gorgeous fiancé over the nearest flat surface.

But all that was ending today.  He’d understood Tony’s little show of getting kidnapped, of course he had. But Tony needed to understand that putting himself at risk needlessly was not acceptable.

It had taken a couple of months, much to Tony’s disgust. It was the longest two months of his life. They’d managed it though. He’d worked on meditation and opening himself up to the metaphysical while Tony had been working on strengthening and deepening his magic. Together, they’d felt the first delicate wisps and had worked hard to grow it into the solid thing it now was.

They were tethered now, by an invisible thread, bound together forever. He’d never felt more self-satisfied.

They’d used the enforced abstinence to iron out some more details and things were all falling into place. The wedding was all arranged, the land bought and construction soon to be underway, and their bond was sorted.

He was still reeling from Tony’s confession all those weeks ago. Dom hated to admit it, but his jealousy of Strange had been interfering with his meditation. He couldn’t help it; Tony and Strange worked so well together, each one’s magic cradling the other, while Dom was left in a dark corner to find himself.

Even though he’d been the one to approach Strange, it had been hard to watch from the sidelines. Strange had ratted him out to Tony and one night they’d sat and had a very frank discussion.

They were related, Tony and Strange. Brothers even, half-brother’s, but still.

Strange had been the result of one of Howard’s indiscretions during the early stages of his marriage to Maria. The paramour had been paid to disappear after she turned her son over to Howard Stark. Howard hid the boy, didn’t acknowledge him at all.

A few years later, when Maria gave birth to Tony, the boy was sent away, and Tony had never known about his brother. Strange never contacted him, even after his name started making the papers and Tony might have remained in ignorance, but then his parents were killed.

Among his father’s papers Tony found reference to a boy, no name; but a private investigator was eventually able to track him down. He’d never used the Stark name and had become a world class surgeon all on his own merit.  Tony had been so proud, but also scared to approach him.

By the time he finally worked up the courage, Strange had been having problems of his own and didn’t want any more drama. He’d said thanks but no thanks to Tony and promptly disappeared.

Tony had tried to understand but a horrible ball of self-hatred had begun festering in the pit of his stomach. A few years later, an enlightened Strange had extended an olive branch. which Tony sobered up long enough to accept.

Those first few years were difficult, but they’d slowly grown closer until they'd got to where they were now. Dr Strange still didn’t want anyone to know and had refused all of Tony’s financial overtures. He had money of his own and was just happy to no longer resent his little brother.

Tony’s voice had wobbled a bit at that but then he’d joked that Howard must be turning in his grave. For his two sons to have different mothers but share magic must mean the magic came from Howard. That Howard himself, had been unable to access his own magical core would have pissed him off beyond belief.

Dom had been so relieved that he didn’t have to fight with the Cloak of Levitation and the allure of Strange’s magic for Tony’s heart, that he’d been unable to be hurt by Tony’s secret.

He, more than anyone understood how family could twist you up inside.

He'd even thought it funny knowing what he did now, that no one had queried why strange was assisting Tony.

Such were his thoughts as Dom headed to the car. He was just zipping out to pick up a few essentials while Tony finished up SI business. Tonight, was a celebration and they were going to do it right.

He couldn’t wait to see Tony’s face. Those were his last thoughts and then nothing but blackness.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Anybody remember Dr Druid? I'd never heard of him. Google and Wikia FANDOM are my best friends lol!
> 
> I have so much respect for Pepper and her poise in the face of Tony's unconventionality. So glad she wasn't really a big meanie.


	18. Making a Break for Freedom

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> We finally find out Wanda's endgame.

* * *

 

He had a banging headache, not the dull throbbing kind, but full on jackhammer frequency. What the hell had they got up to last night.

Wait, the last thing he remembered was getting in the car; must have been some celebration. Things were no clearer when Dom opened his eyes.

The room was dark and by the sounds of it, he was alone.

 

* * *

 

Tony had been expecting Wanda to make her move, it was obvious her plans were bigger than just him. He was just unlucky that she hated him enough to want to take him out of the picture too.

The minute he’d felt Dom’s side of the bond go numb, he’d contacted Barnes to get his ass stateside. He was sure they’d need Barnes to talk Rogers round to their side before this thing was over.

Tony had Stephen and Charles meet him at the Tower. He’d tried to contact the Accords Committee but they were conspicuously quiet. Something was definitely up, Tony just hoped he and Dom wouldn’t get caught in the crossfire.

His source at the National Guard Base had confirmed that Dom’s team had been released into Avenger custody; he was certain they were somehow involved in Dom’s disappearance. Though the bond had been silent, Dom was wearing his bracelets from Tony, so they’d still been able to track his location.

Tony wanted to go now but he knew they couldn’t go in half-cocked since they didn’t know what to expect. Taking time to devise a plan would hopefully give Barnes and his King enough time to get here.

Tony’s musings were interrupted, first by FRIDAY:

 

 

 

> _Sir Dr Strange is enquiring as to whether or not he and Professor Xavier should come up to the penthouse._

 

Then by JARVIS: _Sir, I am receiving an unknown transmission on one of my old communication platforms. It appears to be a video file._

 

 

 

> _FRIDAY, have them meet me on the entertainment floor. JARVIS, engage your strictest security protocol, then once I have joined Strange and Xavier, play the file on screen._

 

In stereo FRIDAY and JARVIS replied: _Very good Sir._

 

Tony shook his head and headed for the elevator, those two had obviously been spending too much time together.

* * *

Pepper was shaking, she couldn’t believe what she’d just heard! She’d managed to find a deserted bathroom and had locked herself in a stall before hyperventilating, but she knew if she didn’t get it together she was gonna get herself killed.

Treason, that’s what it was! They were talking about killing the President, plain as day, and no one had batted an eyelash. Not even Captain America!

As if that wasn't bad enough, Wanda had a replacement ready and waiting. At least she wasn't putting herself forward for the role. Grudgingly Pepper had to admit her philosophy was sound; why be the puppet, when you can pull the strings.

Pepper knew she had to keep a low profile. She couldn’t afford to garner Wanda’s attention. If Wanda tried to mind whammy her and she didn’t respond appropriately, all her plans would be for naught.

She’d taken to wearing the pair of recording glasses Tony had given her everywhere since she deserted him. She’d memorised the code and had simply been waiting for something juicy before transmitting anything. The glasses only held four hours of video so data was constantly being overwritten. Pepper knew she needed to send the file before anything vital was lost, but also before she got herself caught!

She didn’t know how secure these bathrooms were and was debating recording a short message of her own for Tony’s benefit when she heard footsteps and someone quietly calling out her name.

Shit! She was out of time!

She quickly said the code words, gave her face a quick wipe and flushed. She knew JARVIS was gone but she hoped Tony still checked the platforms regularly enough to do something about this before it was too late. She’d recognised that voice and her chances of getting out of this alive were dwindling by the second; she hoped her poor Happy would forgive her.

Pepper exited the stall and ran right into the biceps of Clint Barton. She felt her heart sink, this was it, she was caught. Before she could say anything, he gave her a shrewd look and leaned in until he was practically kissing her neck.

 

 

 

 

> _“You’re not under her spell, are you? Either you’ve shaken it off or you never were”_

Pepper could feel her heart trying to break out of her chest. She was definitely found out, but she tried to bluff anyway. She’d always shone under pressure.

Stepping round him to fix her reflection in the mirror, she said with as steady a voice as she could manage;

 

 

 

> _“I’m quite sure I have no idea what you could possibly mean, Mr Barton. Perhaps you have been spending too many hours in the vents? I understand from the plans, they’re not as comfortable as the ones in the Tower”_

 

Barton gave her a squinty-eyed look. He nodded to himself before saying loudly while looking pointedly up at the right-hand corner of the ceiling.

 

 

 

> _“This shindig is about over for the moment. There’s not much privacy to be had in compound, but if you think the little husband won’t be home, I wouldn’t mind messing up your sheets”_

 

She was about to give a scathing reply when he leaned right into her at the sink with his hands on her hips. Their eyes met in the mirror and with a tilt of his chin he again indicated to the right-hand corner of the ceiling.

She gave him a brief nod. One of the things she’d learnt from her time as Tony’s assistant, was when to keep her mouth shut.

Clint’s face relaxed and he messed up her clothes by running his hands all over them before dragging her out of the bathroom. They didn’t stop but headed straight for the exit.

When no one paid them any mind, she knew his plan had worked.

They got in her car and drove away, but instead of heading to her place, Clint pointed the car in the direction of the Tower.

Neither of them said anything. She still wasn’t sure it was safe and wouldn’t know what to say anyway. Clint obviously shared her concerns.

Pepper wasn’t sure how they’d get into the Tower; no doubt Clint was still banned and since her little display, Tony had probably banned her as well.

But when they pulled up outside, the guard at the door gave her a subtle wink and went back to reading his paper. She heaved a sigh of relief; Tony had obviously got her message. They were probably tracking her car, but she’d be safe inside the Tower.


	19. Clint's Clarity

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dom saves himself

**Clint’s POV**

Tasha had tried to kill him! Not just threatened, at least then he might have had some warning. They’d been sat together at breakfast when out of nowhere, she’d tried to drive a butter knife through his fucking eye!

Wanda had obviously been monitoring Natasha’s thoughts, otherwise there was no way she could’ve stopped her in time. As it was, he could see the bits of bread stuck in the butter on the side of the knife very clearly, by the time Wanda had intervened.

Steve had barely looked up from his porridge long enough to tell Tasha she’d have to wait since Wanda still had use for Clint. Tasha never said word.

Bloody hell! That had been a wakeup call for damn sure. The irony of his indignance hadn’t been lost on him. He certainly hadn’t seen anything wrong with his actions when he’d tried to kill Sam. Funnily enough, Steve hadn’t said anything then either.

He’d spent all night stewing over it. If Steve wouldn’t speak up for him after Clint had followed him at the expense of his family, then maybe Tony wasn’t as full of shit as he thought. And if Tony was right then maybe Clint was in the wrong with the amount of hatred he was carrying around for the billionaire. If he was in the wrong, then maybe they were all in the wrong.

Maybe he had chosen the wrong side.

He’d given himself the mother of all headaches going round and round in circles. His blood pressure was so high, medical had kept him in bed for two days and he’d missed the team’s outing to see Rhodey. By the time he’d come round, Wilson had left the team for good and moved out of the compound.

He’d felt much more clearheaded after leaving medical, but still not 100%. He knew something was off within himself but couldn’t put his finger on what it was exactly. It almost felt similar to when he’d been coming down from the effects of Loki’s brainwashing. The thought had made him feel physically ill and his dash to the toilet had been enough to convince the team that he was really sick.

He’d had a two-week reprieve while the rest of the team were off running covert ops for Fury. Then late one night, they’d been running Stark’s two most recent interviews back-to-back. He’d felt something snap then, and all of sudden he was himself again.

It was bad, but Clint knew he just had to give himself some time and he’d find a way out. He went back to spending all his time in the vents. They were uncomfortable as hell but at least the team mostly left him alone.

When he did have to interact with them, Clint simply talked about his dead kids until whoever it was got fed up and left him alone.

Then Pepper turned up and the focus was off him. They’d been wondering for weeks when she was gonna show her face, but the first time Clint really got to observe her, he knew something was off. He couldn’t put his finger on it, but he’d kept his eyes open.

On the day of Wanda’s big announcement, when he saw her almost lose it, he knew she was his ticket out. He followed her to the bathroom and waited for his moment.

* * *

**Tony’s POV**

Tony was so excited he could barely keep still. Pepper was back, and they were still on the same team yay! All he needed now was to rescue Dom and today would be a perfect day. Strange and Xavier had gone down to meet them in the lobby to perform the prerequisite scans for brainwashing, trackers, bombs and all that bad stuff before they were allowed up.

Honestly, what was taking them so long!

Tony was so focused on seeing Pepper again, he almost missed FRIDAY’s message and had to ask her to repeat it. Her simulated sigh was very teenage-esque.

_Brigadier General Rhodes has asked me to inform you that he is on his way, Sir._

Tony was puzzled, why was Rhodey coming here? _“Did he say why FRIDAY?”_

_I believe it’s because JARVIS informed him you were exhibiting signs of manic behaviour, Sir._

JARVIS again, the traitor. Tony would need to sort that soon, this new version of JARVIS had loose lips. But having Rhodey here would be handy.

Tony was still on the entertainment floor waiting for the quartet to come up from the lobby. He was in a perfect position to see Rhodey approaching the landing pad. But as the little dot drew closer, Tony could tell that it definitely _wasn’t_ Rhodey.

What the actual fuck!

* * *

**Dom’s POV**

His bladder was getting insistent and his stomach was rumbling. He could use the gauntlet but he didn’t want to give away his only advantage. They might overpower him and take the bracelets away before he could engage the armour; he had to know what he was dealing with first.

Dom started shouting for the toilet and a few minutes later, a door off to the side was opened and small shaft of light shone in. He couldn’t make out whoever was standing there since they were backlit.

They didn’t come into the room, just stood by the door and eventually Dom got the hint and heaved himself up and limped over.

Once his eyes adjusted to the brightness outside his cell, he turned around to see who’d released him and almost stepped back in surprise. His former boss was the last person he expected to see.

They slowly made their way to the toilet in silence. Dom figured the whole point of them kidnapping him was to try and talk him round, and the bastard had nothing to say! He decided to push his luck.

_“Any chance a princess might have a bite to eat before she’s once again locked away in the tower?”_

He’d even batted his eyelashes, that should annoy the bastard long enough to get him what he wants. He only received a grunt in reply but since they headed in the opposite direction from his cell, Dom counted it a win.

They rode up in an elevator for a few minutes before stepping onto a floor Dom immediately recognised. He was in the Avenger Compound, and on the main visitor’s floor to boot! He’d seen the plans, the café had an exterior wall; this was going to be so easy, as long as he wasn’t spotted by the actual Avengers.

The dessert trays were by the exterior wall, Dom felt the gods were definitely smiling on him today.

He scoffed his food as quickly as he could, he really was starving and then asked in his most annoying voice if he could please have some pudding. He got a nasty glare for his troubles but since nothing was said, he got up and made his way over to the desserts.

Dom had the armour on and a hole in the wall before anyone realised what was happening. He hightailed into the skies and pushed the suit as hard as he could; it wouldn’t be a stretch to imagine they’d have weapons that could knock him out of the sky, he needed to put as much distance between himself and the Avenger compound as possible.

Once he was sure he was far enough away, Dom touched down on a rooftop and got his bearings. He could see the Tower in the distance. He reactivated the armour and headed home.


	20. Reunited

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tony gets all his favourite people back.

Tony knew now was not the time, but no matter how many times he’d seen it, it still got to him; there was just something so sexy about Dom’s whole body being encased in Tony’s armour.

Even with all his happiness at Pepper’s return, Tony had become increasingly worried the longer the bond stayed quiet. But here was his beautiful tesoro, touching down on the landing pad, easy as anything.

Tony got up on unsteady legs and went out to his moroso. As soon as he was within arm’s reach, he was being squeezed to within an inch of his life. They’d just been standing there enjoying being in each other’s’ arms; hadn’t even said a word yet, when Rhodey was touching down next to where they were standing. He was not amused.

_“You seem to be in a surprisingly good mood for someone experience a manic episode. What’s going on Tony?”_

Tony released Dom long enough to reply:

_“Rhodey, you came! Dom was kidnapped but obviously he freed himself and escaped. He just got back, and now you’re here and Pep’s here. Best Day Ever!”_

At this point Tony released Dom completely and headed back inside, dragging Dom behind him. Just before stepping inside he turned back to Rhodey.

_“Why don’t you come in and I’m sure Dom will tell us all about it”_

 

Tony stepped back into the common room and was surprised to see Barnes and King T’Challa, he’d obviously been so wrapped up in Dom, he’d missed their arrival.

Then Tony noticed Pepper, and everyone else faded into the background for a bit. Eventually, their hug came to an end; wordlessly they agreed to save their talk for later and Pepper informed him that Professor Xavier had said to call for them if they were needed but otherwise he and Dr Strange would be with Clint for some time.

Dom asked FRIDAY to keep an eye on the Avenger compound while JARVIS ordered dinner for everyone.

Over dinner, the six of them went over what had been happening during the past year. Pepper went back a bit further to explain her part in all the goings on and Tony chipped in with what he knew. Dom finished off their tale with details of his kidnapping and escape.

Rhodey got real pissed off when he heard about the Air Force releasing Dom’s old team but agreed to hold off on any action until they had a solid plan in place to deal with the assassination attempt.

Barnes was incredulous after seeing video of Wanda’s speech and the group discussed their options late into the night.

Tony invited everyone to stay in the Tower and sent a message via his own ball of light telling his brother that all three of them were welcome to stay the night, but Barton would have to stay on the secure floor. They’d regroup in the morning to finalise their plan to save the President.

Tony was tired, but Dom obviously had something on mind. As they got into bed, he asked Dom if he wanted to talk about it. He was not expecting the response he got.

Dom grabbed hold of him in a crushing embrace and was repeating over and over _“fix it, please fix it!”_

Only then did Tony realise he still couldn’t feel the bond. A few deep breaths later, Dom was coherent enough to explain he’d been unconscious for a while and had felt the absence of the bond when he awoke. Despite his best efforts, he’d been unable to repair it.

Tony reached for the tendrils of the bond with his magic and was not surprised to find a blockage. What did surprise him, was that the obstruction was on his side of the bond. Maybe the tether had experienced some trauma when Dom had been knocked unconscious and Tony’s magic had instinctively put up a block to protect him?

Whatever the reason, Tony removed the barrier and immediately he felt Dom relax into slumber. Resigned to his fate, Tony resolved to speak to Strange about spending some more time working on their bond; at least enough time for Dom to be able to circumvent any restrictions Tony’s magic unwittingly put on the bond.

Early the next morning, Barnes contacted Rogers telling him they needed to talk and arranged a meeting at “their old spot in Brooklyn”.

Meanwhile, Tony attempted to contact the new head of the Secret Service directly. She’d only had the job the last year or so and hadn’t been around for Wanda’s debut four years ago. As far as Tony could tell, she’d never been in contact with any of the Avengers, so the likelihood of her being one of the Scarlet Witch’s minions was low.

It took him quite some time, time difference and security requirements being what they were. By the time Tony managed to speak to her directly, everyone else was up and having breakfast. Even Clint, whom Dom had collected from the secure floor after speaking with Dr Strange before his and Charles’ departure this morning. They would be back later, but Charles had a commitment to his students he could not renege on.

Clint cut a very subdued figure at the breakfast table and no one seemed sure what to say to him.

After breakfast, Barnes left for his meeting with Steve, King T’Challa in tow. Pepper headed back to her floor for some more sleep. Dom and Rhodey skulked off to parts unknown and Tony was left alone with Clint for the first time in years.

Before he could say anything however, Barton beat him to it. In a voice completely devoid of emotion, Clint informed him that he’d be sticking around just long enough to see Wanda taken down. Then he’d be fading into obscurity to find some inner peace.

He promised that he wouldn’t be hiding and if the Accords Committee decided to charge him with any crimes, they could come find him, once they’d sorted their own house out.

After his speech, Clint slumped back in his chair, eyes focused far away.

Tony wasn’t even mad at him anymore, he just felt pity.

Back up on Tony’s floor, Dom and Rhodey were arguing, rather loudly, about which of them got to tell Tony he had to hang back when they went to raid the Avenger compound. JARVIS and FRIDAY would occasionally chime in with their opinion, but for the most part, the two men appeared to be trying to see who could explain his point of view the loudest.

Tony stood in the corridor for a few minutes, listening and chuckling to himself before finally deciding to intervene.

_“I must say I’m quite flattered by all the care and concern for my wellbeing. Since you’re both at greater risk of being overcome by Wanda’s magic than I am, if one of you will agree to stay behind, I’ll hang back too”_

The two men had the good sense to be embarrassed and after a short pause, grudgingly admitted Tony was right and agreed they should all go together.

Once the Secret Service got back to Tony, they had a solid plan in place. Everyone at the compound would need to be detained and assessed for brainwashing before it was determined which crimes if any, they would be charged with.

The priority was to capture Maximoff, Romanov, Coulson, Fury and Rogers if Barnes couldn’t talk him round. Lang had disappeared soon after Wilson left the compound, he was also a person of interest.

They would also try and apprehend Dom’s old team and prevent as many casualties as possible.

Having handled all the big stuff, Dom, Tony and Rhodey decided to de-stress with the X-Box; it was carnage and Tony was a very sore loser.

A few hours later, Strange and Xavier were back behind closed doors with Barton, when Barnes and T’Challa showed up with bruised and petulant Steve Rogers.

If his brother hadn’t been there, Tony might have been tempted to let them cool their heels outside.

He still didn’t trust Rogers as far as he could throw him, but he approved their entry and told Barnes to secure one of the lobby meeting rooms to stow Rogers in until Strange and Xavier could get down there.

The mind healers again work late into the night, but this time Tony instructs them to place Rogers in the hulk-proof room, rather than on the secure floor. He wants to keep Rogers and Barton away from each other, but also, he doesn’t want Rogers smashing up his things out of spite.


	21. 2:30AM

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Wanda's impatience is her downfall. Steve's off to Wakanda.
> 
> Pepper is a warrior in stilettos :)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's actually 2:30am as I'm writing this. Finishing off the last few chapters and uploading as I do.

It was 2:30 am and Dom and Tony had just bedded down for the night. They’d had their weekly update on Rogers’ condition from Barnes and King T’Challa.

After a couple more days under Professor Xavier’s care; Steve had decided to accept T’Challa’s offer to return to Wakanda and undergo the same BARF therapy Barnes had experienced.

No big surprise there, for Steve it had always been about Sergeant James ‘Bucky’ Barnes.

Barton had refused the King’s offer of hospitality; deciding instead to disappear after leaving instructions with JARVIS to contact him for the “big takedown”.

Everything was coming together nicely; the Secret Service team would arrive in a day or so and then things could finally get resolved. That was until:

_“I’m sorry to disturb you Sir, but there appears to have been an explosion at the Avenger compound”_

Toy sighed and reluctantly climbed back out of bed. He knew it was too good to be true. He’d tried to hurry the Secret Service along; Wanda was bound to notice her dwindling ranks, but they would not be swayed. Unfortunately, in matters of the President’s security, Tony had no recourse and had to defer to the Secret Service.

With the explosion, it’d be a miracle if some of the Witch’s co-conspirators or even the Witch herself didn’t escape. And with Wanda’s brainwashing still intact, they would remain a danger to the President until they’d been caught and de-programmed.

Even if Wanda died, her handy work would remain.

Tony and Dom suited up while FRIDAY notified the rest of the team. They’d all been staying relatively close so should be able to meet Dom and Tony at the Avenger Compound.

On the way there, Dom had a sudden thought and instructed FRIDAY to also contact Christine Everhart; she’d probably appreciate the heads up.

When they arrived, Clint was already waiting for them and Tony had a brief moment where he wondered if Barton was responsible for the blast.

But JARVIS had been monitoring the site and confirmed eye witness statements that Wanda had been pushing SHIELD scientists to replicate the arc reactor technology. A faulty experiment had been the cause.

Their stories would have to be checked of course, once the mind control had been removed.

Tony scanned the survivors searching for any of their priority people. He’d already instructed the local police to detain Dom’s former team before they tried to skulk away.

Got ya! Tony thought to himself; the Bastard, the Brat and the Assassin.

Most of the injured were from the lower floors where the worst of the blast seemed to have been concentrated. The labs were on the lower floors.

The upper floors seemed to have escaped mostly unscathed. Unfortunately, Nick Fury had been on the floor directly below the lab. If he survived his injuries, he would never again be the man Tony knew and loved to aggravate. Tony felt like a dick for thinking it, but it would probably be for the best if he succumbed to his injuries.

Tony continued scanning the crowd of survivors; Coulson of fucking course! Damn man was like a fucking cockroach, just wouldn’t stay dead. Since he was the last man standing, they cleaned him up, did a quick and dirty extraction of Wanda’s claws from his mind, and set him in front of the cameras to distract the media and onlookers while rescue efforts continued.

Rhodey arrived in War Machine and started helping Dom dig survivors out of the rubble.

Strange was corralling survivors for detainment and de-programming while Charles simultaneously scanned the rubble for survivors and the surrounding area for anyone showing traces of Wanda’s magic. He could track her magical signature for over 50 miles, which was much further than anyone involved in the explosion could’ve gotten since then. Charles would find them, and Stephen would use his magic to pluck them from their hiding place and secure them with the rest of the survivors.

Romanov had made it an impressive distance away, but Wanda’s handiwork lit up her mind like a beacon in the night and she was brought back to wait with the other detainees. Barton disappeared not long after that.

They eventually found Wanda buried under a collapsed section of the lab; her magic had protected her from injury, but she appeared to be trapped.

Under Charles’ guidance, Tony was able to create a secondary shield around Wanda to prevent injury. Following Charles’ explanation, Tony explored the boundaries of Wanda’s shield and had simply copied it with his own magic. Once he was certain his shield was solid; Charles had bound Wanda’s magic and she was rendered harmless before she ever came up out of the rubble.

Brought low by her own evil deeds, even while she was being raised up out of the ruins of her nefarious intentions, rescued by her enemies; Tony thought there was something remarkably poetic about that.

The rescue/detention efforts carried on into the early hours of the morning. Ms Everhart arrived on scene just in time to see Dom and Rhodey pull a de-powered Wanda from the dirt.

It was all a bit anticlimactic really; they’d been gearing up for this big confrontation, but Wanda’s impatience had done the job for them.

Dom’s team were still onsite, waiting for prisoner transport; and the two women were loudly and rudely declaring their innocence. Tony badly wanted to punch the Assassin but knew it would be bad form since he was in his suit. So, he held back while she continued to mouth off, getting on his last nerve.

Suddenly, out of nowhere, Pep flew by him, stilettos sinking in the dirt, and knocked down the mouthy assassin with one punch! That shut her up.

Tony almost crowed in delight; there’s a reason why Virginia Potts-Hogan is the only woman he’s ever loved. She turned to him, prim as anything while nursing her hand and said Happy was ready to transport the first batch of detainees to holding.

Shit.

In all their planning, none of them had spent much time on what would happen to the detainees while they were awaiting assessment. There’d been a brief mention of sending them to the Accords Committee, but since the Committee itself was compromised, that wasn’t feasible.

This, is why Pepper was CEO; she thought of things no one else did and found a solution before it became a problem. Tony was just so glad to have her back.

He had no idea how she’d done it. The centre for detainees was more like a rehab facility or hotel; luxurious surroundings with self-contained units. At least they couldn’t be accused of inhumane treatment if things dragged on for longer than anticipated.

It took a few more days to sort through everything. Charles used Cerebro to trace any remaining victims of Wanda’s magic and went with Strange to round up as many as they could.

Now that everyone was in place, the real work could begin. Tony, Stephen and Charles worked their way through all the staff at the UN Accords, transferring anyone they were unsure of to the detention center for further investigation later. It took a few days to get through all the staff and the Accords Committee required a further week to determine how to proceed.

Tony could use his magic to scan, he could even remove the weaker controls with confidence, but Strange and Professor Xavier were doing the brunt of the work and they needed help. Tony’s time was better spent elsewhere. He said as much to Pepper in passing and a few days later, six more people turned up to help; including two of the Professor’s students as well as Pepper’s own Doctor of Magic.

Rhodey had run back to the Capital as soon as the furore had died down. Christine Everhart had done a puff piece on Rhodey starting with him pulling people from the rubble and working back to his injuries from four years ago “fighting for what’s right”, through the years of “bleakness, pain, and hospitalisations”, to “the triumph of a remarkable human being”. Everhart had used the piece about Rhodey as a springboard for her series on Wanda and the plot to assassinate the President.

Tony knew Rhodey was being groomed for great things; exemplary soldier from a minority group, above reproach with a rich white friend, it was kind of hard to miss.

He had simply thought Ms Everhart above such political machinations, but maybe he was being uncharitable. Still, she’d done such a good job on Rhodey’s piece, she’d sent him running for Capitol Hill out of sheer embarrassment. With Ms Everhart’s piece fresh in everyone’s mind, Rhodey could probably write his own ticket all the way to the White House, only Tony knew he wasn’t ready to leave the field yet; especially with the new lease on life Tony’s magic had given him.

Tony would be lying if he said he hadn’t enjoyed every moment of Rhodey’s discomfort.

The decision to go public had been agreed upon by everyone who’d been involved in the gathering of evidence. They’d handed it all over to Ms Everhart in the hope that transparency now, might save them some grief later. Not that people wouldn’t still cry conspiracy; but at least they couldn’t be accused of not being honest, that was the hope anyway.

Dom’s former team had been the first to be prosecuted, they’d not been influenced by Wanda’s magic in anyway. Since all their misdeeds happened outside her influence, Tony was happy to turn them over to the FBI. Especially since Dom didn’t care what happened to them, as long as he didn’t have to deal with them anymore.

The Committee had assembled several investigation teams, each equipped with its own telepath. The teams were assigned the task of establishing what part each detainee played in Wanda’s schemes, where her mind control ended, and any culpability began. Trials were due to start in a months’ time, they would be televised, and Wanda would be first on the block. How the Accords treated her would set a precedent for the fate of the others.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Honestly glad it's nearly over. The enjoyment from writing is fading fast. 
> 
> I haven't really reviewed these last 4 chapters so apologies for any errors.


	22. It's all over but for the handfasting

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Thor thinks he's pulled one over on Loki and Sam Wilson is a good bro.

 

**Wanda Maximoff**

She was so angry she could scream!

 Those stupid scientists had ruined everything. They’d tried to make out that she was asking some great feat of them; as if she couldn’t see their incompetence. If Stark had managed to do it, then it couldn’t possibly be that hard.

If she had killed him at the first opportunity all those years ago, he wouldn’t be messing up her plans now. But the money had been too good to pass up. Now though, she’d use her magic to twist and torture his mind before killing him without hesitation. She would enjoy watching him writhe in agony.

They’d thought they’d muzzled her by blocking her magic, more fool them. Hydra had tried but the effects always wore off. That bloody cripple of a telepath thought he was so smart, but she had people everywhere; she’d even managed to get her hooks into a couple of his students and right under his nose to.

Wanda decided to bide her time, let them think she was broken. She had nothing but time; Clint would come for her as he’d done before. That’s why she’d spared him rather than let the Widow finish him off; he did have his uses, she could be patient for a little while.

* * *

**Clint Barton & Natasha Romanov**

The trials had dragged on for months. Several government officials were found to have not been brainwashed by Wanda and were charged with treason. For the promise of power and riches, they’d sold out their country.

Clint snorted, the human race was always once step from depravity.

Once he’d been cleared by the Accords Committee, Clint headed south. He’d finally put down some roots in Texas and had just taken over a small orphanage there. Everyday he thought of Laura and Cooper and Lila, of the little Barton he’d never got to meet. He hoped if they could see him they’d understand he was trying to make amends by looking out for these kids, just as he should’ve done for them.

At least all that SHIELD money he’d never spent while sponging off Tony or being a bum in Wakanda would be put to good use.

He knew she’d find him eventually, he wasn’t even trying to hide. Her trial had been early on, she was too high profile to be left languishing. She’d waited until he’d been acquitted, her heightened sense of self-preservation wouldn’t allow her to do otherwise. But her she was at last.

They hadn’t spoken for months. Since before she’d tried to kill him, but here she was, sat on his front porch as if nothing had changed.

_“I’ve got a job, I need a partner”_

Clint considered his words carefully. There were so many ways he could respond, so many words to say, but in the end, only one thing mattered. The kids were his priority.

_“It’s late, and I’ve got an early start. I’m going to bed. The kids have got swimming at 5:30”_

Clint headed back inside and locked the door behind him, trying to be quiet since the kids were all asleep. She wouldn’t be back.

He swiped angrily at the tears on his face. He’d learnt his lesson, but maybe if he’d learnt it earlier, the kids asleep upstairs might have been his own.

* * *

**James Rhodes**

Brigadier General Rhodes looked at the clock for the third time in less than an hour and expelled a sigh of annoyance. This day was the slowest in the history of mankind. He had a ring burning a hole in his pocket and a whole weekend off to spend with the most amazing woman, yet he was stuck completing mission reports.

He knew his superiors were upset by his decision to remain in the field. They felt that he should hang up his field operative status and capitalise on the current wave of public opinion. They wanted him to be the poster boy for minorities. Come to the Air Force and you could be the next War Machine. But Rhodey was his own man and he’d already made up his mind.

Still, he understood the chain of command had to save face, so he would accept his punishment of paperwork overload. It was only temporary until the next time War Machine was needed.

Besides, with the advantages Tony’s magic had given him, his field op status would probably outlive at least half of those old stuffed shirts.

Right now, he had more important things to worry about. It had only been six months, but it had been an intense six months and Rhodey was sure Helen was the one for him. She smart, fierce and loyal. The whole bendy thing didn’t hurt either. With his ring on her finger, he could enjoy the best sex of his life without her father’s disapproving glare giving him a guilty conscience.

He’d tried talking to Tony about it; it still blew his mind that the little scrapper from MIT could be in a stable relationship. Attempting to talk to Tony had been a mistake and he should have known better.

Tony had simply said he wasn’t the best person to ask, since he and Dom had taken a week-long couple vacation the day after they met and then he’d bought Dom a house and a plane.

Yea in retrospect, it had been a bad idea to ask Tony.

* * *

**Scott Lang & Sam Wilson**

Scott Lang knew he was lucky to have Sam Wilson as a friend. He’d left the Avenger Compound not long after Sam and had simply been roaming New York, trying to keep a low profile. He’d silently followed the Accord trials while repeatedly trying to see his daughter, but his ex-wife wasn’t having it.

He’d been drowning his sorrows in a dive bar, when Sam walked in and sat at his table. They’d sat in silence until he’d finished his drink. Without a word, Sam had gotten up and walked out; after weighing his options, Scott had followed him into the night.

After the trials, the UN Accords had left their New York branch open and fully staffed. They’d urged anyone who felt they may have been brainwashed by Wanda to come in for testing and treatment. It was free, and you’d get seen the same day.

The first thing Sam did was take Scott there for treatment. He hadn’t thought he’d been affected; but the clarity that came with treatment confirmed he’d been one of Wanda’s victims. Sam had also helped him get a job as tech support for the BARF at the same VA where Sam worked. A couple of months later, they were moving out. With his new pay check, Scott could contribute to expenses and now they were moving to a bigger place just outside Harlem.

His ex-wife had been a bit more sympathetic once Scott explained that he’d been one of Wanda’s victims. After he’d had treatment and got a job, she’d agree to let him have Cassie one or two weekends a month.

Sam had taken that information in his stride simply said they’d need a bigger place. Sam Wilson was definitely a good bro.

* * *

**Steve Rogers**

Steve was slowly sliding into depression and nothing the Wakanda doctors tried was helping. Once the fog of the Scarlet Witch’s influence had lifted, he’d been horrified at all the things he’d done. He’d jumped at the chance to escape back to Wakanda with Bucky.

Looking back, Steve could see this trip to Wakanda was just another way to avoid the consequences of his actions. He hadn’t even been following the Accord trials, so confident that he wouldn’t be held accountable for any crimes he’d committed.

He’d resisted the BARF at first, even though that was the reason he’d agreed to come to Wakanda. But Bucky had a new life that didn’t include him and was always busy being the King’s Consort. They’d had an official ceremony soon after they got back and in a fit of tantrum worthy of any five year old, Steve had refused to go.

He felt bad now, because Bucky had been upset, but he wasn’t sorry. Even after all his BARF treatments and counselling, Steve remained as selfish and argumentative as ever. He’d gotten used to Bucky’s life revolving around him when he was weak and sickly.

Now he was big and strong and Bucky had a life of his own, but Steve still wanted it to be all about him.

* * *

**James Barnes & King T’Challa**

James lay wrapped in the arms of his King and whispered his private thoughts.

_“I don’t want him here any longer, He’s bad for Wakanda”_

He should’ve felt bad, but he didn’t. His priority now was Wakanda, its King and its people, his people. He felt such an affinity for them; they were kind and hard working, thriving in this oasis away from the eyes of the world. All Wakanda had been invested in his recovery, James had never felt such honest affection. He wouldn’t let their world be ruined for the sake of a selfish best friend and a friendship out of time.

James knew he and Steve had been close at one time, but those times were over; he wasn’t Bucky anymore and this Steve, well he didn’t even like him very much.

The next morning the three men sat down for a very frank discussion. Steve lost his temper and almost attacked T’Challa, before the Dora Milaje forcefully reminded him of his place.

Steve admitted he didn’t want to be Captain America anymore and Bucky persuaded him to take his bike on that Great American Road Trip he’d always talked about.

They’d set him up with an apartment in New York and dropped him off there on their way to Tony and Dom’s wedding. Steve Rogers was a grow ass man; it was time he started acting like it.

* * *

**Thor**

Thor sat at the table and admired his new Lady Wife. She was a strong and beautiful maiden and an even fiercer warrior; she would l make a great Warrior Queen. He listened to his comrades drunkenly enjoying the feast celebrating his handfasting with Lady Sif and couldn’t help but feel a smug sense of triumph.

He had bested four warriors of the Aesir to gain her courting favour, and in congratulations Loki, still disguised as the AllFather, had promised to relinquish the throne to him if he won her hand.

It had not been his intention to seek Lady Sif’s favour or ascend the throne when he had returned from Midguard. But the longer he stayed, the more appealing Asguard became; and the look of pure adoration in Lady Sif’s fair eyes whenever she looked at him was very gratifying indeed.

It also pleased Thor greatly to know his brother would now have to surrender the throne, after all he had done to gain it.

In a week, after their seclusion, he would be crowned the new King and his new wife the Queen.

Thor raised a silent toast to his brother and smiled.

* * *

**Loki and Bruce Banner**

Loki breathed a sigh of relief. Finally, the big oaf was on the throne and he could turn his back on Asguard for good. He was still unclear as to what had prompted Thor’s impromptu visit to Asguard, since Thor never did say.

Loki had been bored dealing with the whinging masses of Asguard and so, so lonely. He’d seized the opportunity to quietly encourage Thor’s ascendance to the throne and had ensured the success of his plan by convincing Lady Sif that Thor shared her affections.

He’d teased out Thor’s desire for the throne by promising to surrender it, only if Thor could win Lady Sif’s hand. Predictably, Thor could not refuse a challenge and in his desire to always be the victor, he’d convinced himself he wanted to be King and marry Lady Sif.

Sif, overcome by a persistently amorous Thor, held out only as long as propriety required. Loki had wasted nary a moment; he’d left the coronation and headed for the Bifröst.

Asguard was safe, it was time to start living for himself and his beloved. They could enjoy a quiet life away from prying eyes.

Loki stepped out of the portal and immediately raised his shield to block himself from Heimdall’s all seeing eyes.

It had been a risk to use the Bifröst and travel so close to their home; but it had been many months since he’d last seen his beloved and he had missed him terribly. Another moment’s delay seemed unbearable. He could tell the inside of the house was quiet, so instead, he headed for the gardens at the back.

His beloved was such a gentle soul and would spend hours among the foliage, communing with nature. Loki made sure to step heavily so as not to startle his adored one and was rewarded with happy eyes and a beatific smile.

Bruce untangled himself from his position of meditation and slowly got to his feet to greet his mate.

But as he stood, Loki felt his legs weaken under him; how in Odin’s name was this possible?

His Sváss was pregnant!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just the epilogue to go now.


	23. Epilogue: Dr and Dr Anthony Stark

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Honeymooners

**8 Months Later**

Dom stretched languidly on his lounger by the pool and let out a groan as he rolled on to his stomach. He thought he heard an answering groan from his husband but that couldn’t be right; Tony was supposed to be monitoring the construction in Malibu.

Nude sunbathing was one of his absolute favourite past times and since they were on a private island with not a paparazzo insight, Dom had been indulging himself shamelessly, much to his new husband’s pretended disgust.

They’d been forced to take a month-long honeymoon, because they were constantly changing the designs and had set the completion date of the underground structures back by a month, which had led to a delay in the completion of the above ground dwelling.

Tony had changed the specifications of his underground lab several times and Dom had wanted every luxury he could think of added to the emergency bunker, just in case; in the end, it looked more like a set of luxury apartments underground than a bunker.

He’d let Tony work for a couple of hours undisturbed, but he was on his honeymoon and now he wanted some attention. He could feel Tony’s eyes boring into him and wondered if it would be too obvious if he simply flashed the ring. They been on the island a couple days and every time Tony caught a glimpse of his wedding ring, Dom found himself with a lapful of wriggling husband.

Tony had outdone himself with the rings and created another new element too, his husband was definitely an overachiever. Solid black with intricate lattice design over the blue of Tony’s magic at their core, they had a similar polished look to the bracelets Tony had given him.

 

He was the luckiest man alive, truly. After the ceremony at their beach house in Hawaii, they’d barely made it to a room with a door before Dom had been on his knees. The discovery of the overwhelming effect on their bond when the rings touched happened by accident. Already weak from their orgasms, the jolt had completely removed their tenuous grip on reality. They’d been high as anything, floating on the euphoria traveling along the bond until a discreet knock from Pepper had brought them back to reality.

He decided to try something else. There was a patch on his lower back starting to heat rather uncomfortably, Dom decided to ask his husband for assistance; prevent sunburn and get his husband’s all over his conveniently oiled body, he was nothing if not opportunistic.

_“Marito mio, would you be a dear and get this spot on my lower back per favore. It’s starting to smart just a little”_

A quick glance over his shoulder confirmed Dom’s suspicions, Tony hadn’t been working at all, the StarkTab sat ignored on the table while Tony stared hungrily in his direction.

Yep, he’s still got it.

* * *

 

This is what I imagine the underground structures of their new Malibu home will look like. 

Tony's lab off to one side with it own entrance.

The bunker is more like a series of luxury apartments, each level more luxurious than the next with Tony and Dom's being the lowest level.

          

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this is the end. Thanks for all the feedback and encouragement and of course, the kudos.


End file.
